This is a list of sexually active popes,
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priests who were not celibate before they became pope, and popes who were legally married, while people under holy orders are usually required to be celibate. Some candidates were
sexually active
Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) t ...
before their election as
pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
, and others were accused of being sexually active during their papacies. A number of them had offspring. The
Second Lateran Council
The Second Council of the Lateran was the tenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church. It was convened by Pope Innocent II in April 1139 and attended by close to a thousand clerics. Its immediate task was to neutralise the after-e ...
(1139) made the promise to remain
celibate
Celibacy (from Latin ''caelibatus'') is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, th ...
a prerequisite to ordination, abolishing the married priesthood in the
Latin Church
, native_name_lang = la
, image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran
, caption = Archbasilica of Saint Jo ...
. Sexual relationships were generally undertaken therefore outside the bond of
matrimony and each sexual act thus committed is considered a
mortal sin by the Catholic Church.
There are various classifications for those who were sexually active during their lives. Periods in parentheses refer to the years of their papacies.
Background
For many years of the Church's history, celibacy was considered optional. Based on the customs of the times, it is assumed by many that most of the
Twelve Apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
, were married and had families. The
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...
(Mk 1:29–31; Mt 8:14–15; Lk 4:38–39; 1 Tim 3:2, 12; Tit 1:6) depicts at least Peter as being married, and
bishops
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
,
priests and
deacons of the
Early Church were often married as well. In epigraphy, the testimony of the
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...
, synodal legislation, papal decretals and other sources in the following centuries, a married clergy, in greater or lesser numbers, was a feature of the life of the Church. Celibacy was not required for those ordained and was a discipline accepted in the early Church, particularly by those in the monastic life.
Although various local Church councils had demanded celibacy of the clergy in a particular area, at the
Second Lateran Council
The Second Council of the Lateran was the tenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church. It was convened by Pope Innocent II in April 1139 and attended by close to a thousand clerics. Its immediate task was to neutralise the after-e ...
(1139), the whole of the
Latin Church
, native_name_lang = la
, image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran
, caption = Archbasilica of Saint Jo ...
of the Catholic Church decided to accept men for ordination only after they had taken a promise of
celibacy
Celibacy (from Latin ''caelibatus'') is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, th ...
. This applies to the leadership of the Church.
Priestly celibacy
retrieved June 9, 2008
Popes who were legally married
Fathered illegitimate children before holy orders
Known to or suspected of having fathered illegitimate children after receiving holy orders
Relationships with women
Relationships with women and men
Popes alleged to be sexually active during pontificate
Relationships with women
Relationships with men
Relationships with women and men
See also
* Pope Joan
* Antipope John XXIII and Antipope Felix V
* History of clerical celibacy in the Christian Church
Notes
References
*''The Bad Popes'', Chamberlin, E.R., Sutton History Classics, 1969 / Dorset; New Ed edition 2003.
*''The Pope Encyclopedia: An A to Z of the Holy See'', Matthew Bunson, Crown Trade Paperbacks, New York, 1995.
*''The Papacy'', Bernhard Schimmelpfennig, Columbia University Press
Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fie ...
, New York, 1984.
*''Lives of the Popes'', Richard P. McBrien, Harper Collins, San Francisco, 1997.
*''Papal Genealogy'', George L. Williams, McFarland& Co., Jefferson, North Carolina, 1998.
*''Sex Lives of the Popes'', Nigel Cawthorne, Prion, London, 1996.
*''Popes and Anti-Popes'', John Wilcock, Xlibris Corporation, 2005.
*''La véritable histoire des papes'', Jean Mathieu-Rosay, Grancher, Paris, 1991
{{Refend
Sexually active popes
Popes, sexually active
Popes
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
Sexually active popes