The Pope who was a woman. The Secret of Pope Joan

In the book “The Sacred Den” by Taxil Leo, dedicated precisely to the history of the papacy, this episode is described. Here's what it looks like in the book:

Pope Joanna
Despite the vigorous protests of some fanatics, the existence of Pope Joan has been established and irrefutably proven. Having replaced Leo the fourth, she sat on the holy throne under the name of John the eighth for about two years.
In order not to discover her gender, she was forced to keep her love affairs and thanks to this she has gained an impeccable reputation among the population; the fame of her high virtue was so firmly established in Rome that she was unanimously elected pope.
However, she occupies a worthy place among the cruel and vicious popes, for her virtue is nothing more than a mask that she hypocritically wore from her earliest years in order to satisfy her unbridled ambition.
Joanna's death was tragic: on the day of the Ascension, which, as usual, is marked by a procession of the cross, the pope in the ceremonial vestments of the high priest, in purple, at the head of the procession on horseback, according to the established ritual, surrounded by a retinue of bishops and dignitaries, nobles and a crowd of thousands, solemnly went to St. Peter's Basilica.
Along the way, labor pains overcame her with such force that she fell off her horse. Tormented, she rolled on the ground and uttered inhuman screams. Finally, tearing the sacred clothes that covered her, she gave birth to terrible convulsions.
The enraged priests not only did not allow her to be helped, but, surrounding her with a tight chain, as if wanting to hide her from the prying eyes of the crowd, cursed her and showered her with dirty curses until she gave up the ghost.
During her death throes, these monsters strangled the child she had given birth to.
The main argument of Christian writers who persistently denied the existence of Pope Joan is based on the fact that God would never allow such a blatant disgrace and therefore the throne of St. Peter, established by Jesus himself, could not be occupied by a dissolute wench.
The argument is, of course, solid?
We can only repeat the very question that the historian Maurice Lachatre once asked: “How could the creator tolerate all the crimes, blasphemies and abominations of the bishops of Rome? killers?
Baronius, one of the most zealous defenders of the papacy, is forced to admit that Popes Boniface the sixth and Stephen the seventh are vile monsters who have disgraced the house of God with their deeds; he accuses them of surpassing the most cruel persecutors of the church.
Bishop Genebrard asserts that “for two centuries the Holy See was occupied by monstrously dissolute popes; they should have been called apostatic, not apostolic; Church affairs were managed by women, the high priest’s throne was in the courtesan’s bedroom all these years.” And indeed, Theodora and Marozia, impudent harlots, actually ruled all of Rome as they wanted: they placed their lovers or sons on the throne of St. Peter, and the chronicle reports such outrageous details about these women that your humble servant does not risk bringing them.
This is all history, gentlemen clerics. This is your story!

[lat. Joanna papissa], a fictional character, a woman who allegedly occupied the Papal throne in the middle. 9th century (according to other versions, in the 10th or 11th centuries). The legend about I.P. became widespread from the 13th century. and played a significant role in anti-Catholic. polemics in New and Contemporary times.

Legend

The source on which references to I.P. in the 50-70s depended to one degree or another. XIII century, is the “Chronica universalis Metensis” (World Chronicle of Metz, ca. 1250) by the Dominican Jean de Mailly. According to the chronicle, in 1099 the popess (papissa) took the Roman throne of St. Petra; she successfully posed as a man and, before her election to the Papal throne, was a notary of the papal curia and a cardinal. Her deception was revealed when she gave birth to her child while mounting a horse. The exposed woman was tied to a ponytail, dragged through the streets and stoned. She was buried at the site of her death and a stone with an epitaph was allegedly installed there.

In Op. “Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum” (Chronicle of Popes and Emperors, ca. 1277) Martin Polyak provides a more detailed version of the legend (many others go back to his text. later mentions about the pope): a certain John, an Englishman by birth, but originally from Mainz (Johannes Anglicus, natione Moguntinus), during the period between the pontificates of Leo IV (847-855) and Benedict III (855-858) allegedly occupied the throne of the Roman popes for 2 years, 7 months and 4 days. This John, according to Martin Polyak, was in fact a woman who was taken to Athens by her lover, disguised as her husband. dress. In Athens she studied science, in Rome she taught the trivium (see Artes liberales), she had many master students, then she became a cardinal and managed to reach the pinnacle of spiritual power, occupying the Roman throne. However, then I.P. became pregnant from her companion and during the procession from the Cathedral of St. Petra to the Lateran died after giving birth, which took place publicly in a place between the Colosseum and the c. St. Clement (she was buried at this place). Due to the fact that later popes always toured this place, it was believed that the reason for this was disgust at what had happened. Since I.P. was a woman, explains Martin Polyak, her name was not included in the official list. list of popes.

Afterwards Martin Polyak's version of the legend was supplemented with details. So, according to Dietrich of Nimsky, I.P. attended the same school as the blessed one. Augustine (Historie de gestis Romanum Principium // MGH. Staatsschriften des späteren Mittelalters. Bd. 5. Tl. 2. S. 27). In con. XIV century Jan Hus mentioned the name Agnes, which I.P. supposedly bore before her election to the Papal throne (in other sources - Gilbert, Glance, etc.). Medieval. chroniclers and theologians mentioned the connection between I.P. and the devil (this was first mentioned by E. de Bourbon in “Tractatus de diversis materiis praedicabilis” (Treatise on various topics for preaching, 1260)), and also reported about her passion for necromancy (for example, in the work “Flores temporum”, see also an excerpt from an unpublished chronicle from Kempten Abbey - Döllinger. 1863. S. 26). For Martin Polyak, I.P.'s stay on the Papal throne dates back to the time between the pontificates of Leo IV and Benedict III. According to the World Chronicle of Metz, I.P.’s reign was at stake. XI century In the “Treatise...” of E. de Bourbon and in the anonymous Erfurt chronicle, compiled ca. 1260, the period of I.P.’s stay on the Roman throne was placed between 900 and 915, after the pontificate of Pope Sergius III (904-911). In a later edition of the chronicle of Otto of Freisingen (1515), it was reported that the woman was supposedly Pope John VII (705-707).

Dr. The version of the legend about I.P. probably dates back to the 90s. XIII century; it is also featured in the Chronicle... by Martin Polyak. In accordance with it, I.P., while occupying the Papal throne, was in a relationship with a certain deacon-secretary and was exposed during childbirth, but saved her life by being defrocked. The street where the birth took place was named “Vicus papisse” (Street of the Pope), and subsequently. she was avoided during processions. The deposed pope lived to old age and was buried in Ostia (her son occupied the episcopal see there). This version of the legend is reproduced in expanded form by G. Boccaccio in Op. “De mulieribus claris” (On famous women, 1374): bud. The pope was born in Germany. lands and bore the name Gilbert, studied in England. When, after 2 years and 7 months, during which she occupied the Papal throne, I.P. was exposed, she was forced to abdicate, and she died a natural death as a private citizen.

In con. XIII century in the chronicles (first by Geoffroy de Courlon in 1295) a connection is established between the legend of the pope and the ritual of sitting on the so-called. porphyry seats (sedes porphyreticae), the symbolism of this ritual remained unclear for a long time. The pope was seated on a double armchair made of pseudo-porphyry with a C-shaped seat, after which he was given papal insignia (a staff, keys to the Lateran Palace, a belt, on which hung a purse with 12 seals and musk). After presenting the insignia and scattering coins to the crowd of spectators, the pope traditionally should have “sit down as if lying down” (ut potius videatur iacere quam sedere - quoted from: Dykmans M. Le cérémonial papal. Brux.; R., 1977. Vol. 1. P . 179) between the 2 seats of the throne (for more information about this ceremony, see Art. Coronation). Geoffroy de Courlon was the first to interpret this rite as a mandatory procedure for checking the gender of the crowned pontiff, allegedly introduced after I.P.'s tenure on the Roman throne. XV century Italian pointed out a similar interpretation of the ritual. humanist Jacopo d'Angelo in his description of the coronation of Pope Gregory XII in 1406. Despite the fact that the official ranks of the papal coronation do not mention the gender verification procedure, many figures close to the papal curia strongly condemned such rumors and information about the ritual spread and became one of the common topoi for describing papal coronations. The image of the rite was preserved in the description of the coronation of Pope Innocent X, compiled by the Protestant L. Bank (Banck L. Roma triumphans, seu Actus inaugurationum et coronationum Innocentii X Pont. Max. brevis descriptio. Franekerae, 1645; the statement that the illustration represents a real ritual can be found in scientific literature to this day - cf. Bertelli S. The King's Body. University Park (Penn.), 2001. P. 177-190) .

According to established tradition, the burial place of I.P. was considered to be the street between the Colosseum and the church. San Clemente, on the direct route from the Colosseum to the Lateran, was, however, bypassed during ceremonial processions. There was a statue of a certain woman on the street. deities and a memorial stone, probably installed long before the 8th century. (by order of Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) they were removed). Apparently initially unrelated to each other, these 2 objects began to be associated with the place where the pope allegedly gave birth to a child. According to the Middle Ages. According to the descriptions, the first letters of the first word (“Parc”, “Petr” or “Pap”) were read on the stone, then the words “pater patrum” (the title of the main city priest of Mithras) and the following abbreviation PPP. In the chronicles, the last 3 words were deciphered differently, but it was always about I.P.: “Petre Pater Patrum papisse prodito partum” or “Papa Pater Patrum papisse pandido partum” (distorted Latin - Oh, Peter (Papa), father fathers, to announce the birth of the pope), “Papa Pater Patrum peperit papissae papellum” (distorted Latin - Papa, father of fathers, the pope gave birth to papa), etc. Researchers agree that the standard for Dr. Rome is an abbreviation of the phrase “propria pecunia posuit” (Latin - established at his own expense).

Origin and spread of the legend

In the XVI-XX centuries. more than 10 hypotheses were put forward about the origin of the legend about I.P.; According to some of them, the legend should have been considered as an allegory for the appearance of the False Isidore decretals (C. Blasco), as an echo of the condemnation at the Mainz Council (847) of the false prophetess Fyota (L. Allatsiy) or as some real story of the exposure of a female bishop outside the walls of Rome (G.W. Leibniz). Most widespread received 3 interpretations. In one of them, it was proposed to consider Byzantium as the historical basis of the legend about I.P. the tradition of ordaining eunuchs as priests, who, in the absence of a beard, could look like women. There is a known legend about a woman who ruled in the 8th century. as K-Polish Patriarch; this legend was reflected in the Salerno Chronicle of the 10th century. (Chronicon Salernitanum. 16 // MGH. SS. T. 3. P. 481) and in a letter from Pope Leo IX to the K-Polish Patriarch Michael I Kirularius, where the pope condemned the K-Polish see for the fact that the patriarch once sat on it -woman (PL. 143. Col. 760). According to other sources, the legend about I.P. developed in the context of information about the enormous influence they had on the policy of the Papal Throne in the 10th century. the noble Roman Theodora and the “senatress” and “patrician” Marozia (allegedly claiming the title of pope) (see articles John X, John XI). However, most researchers agree that the appearance of the legend about I.P. was associated with an incorrect interpretation of a number of features of the papal ceremonial and Rome that were not clear to ordinary Romans and pilgrims. topography. As the church historian of the 19th century believed. I. J. Döllinger and following him are considered by the majority of modern people. researchers, the legend had a folklore character (the plot of “a woman becoming a bishop/pope” is included under the code K 1961 2.1 in the Aarne-Thompson Index of Folklore Plots - Thompson S. Motif-index of Folk-literature. Bloomington, 1955-1958. 6 vol. ).

The penetration of the legend about I.P. into chronicles and other works can be traced from the middle. XIII century The most important role in disseminating information about the pope before the beginning. XIV century played by representatives of the mendicant orders, which, according to researchers, was associated with their conflict with Pope Boniface VIII, as well as in general with the political situation that developed around the abdication of the “angelic pope” Celestine V and the election of the “pseudo-pope” Boniface VIII (Boureau. 1984 ). Stories about the pope were inserted both into new texts and into ancient chronicles when they were rewritten. I.P. is mentioned in some manuscripts of the 14th-15th centuries. chronicles of Anastasius the Librarian (IX century), Martin Scotus (XI century) and Sigibert of Gembloux (XII century). In the “World Chronicle of Metz” by Jean de Mailly, the legend about I.P. was set out in 1099 and was accompanied by the mark “require” (Latin - check), which apparently indicates the novelty and unusualness of the material for the author. Anonymous Erfurt chronicler ca. 1260 reproduced this legend, giving a reference to certain “Romans” (ut fatentur romani - Chronica minor. P. 184) and dating the events described to the beginning. X century Referring to the “World Chronicle of Metz,” the story of the female pope was used by E. de Bourbon, who slightly changed it and provided it with a moralizing conclusion. Afterwards this version of the legend was repeatedly reproduced in the form of original religious-didactic examples (exemplum): by Jacob of Varazze in the “Chronica Civitatis Ianuensis” (Chronicle of the City of Genoa, ca. 1297), by Arnold of Liege in the “Alphabetum Narrationum” (Alphabet of Stories, ca. 1310; see: Boureau. 1984. P. 450-451) and others.

The most authoritative version was the one set out in one of the editions of the Chronicle of Popes and Emperors by Martin Polyak. As the researchers note, it differed from the earlier version by Jean de Mailly in the detail and nature of the narrative. In the presentation of Martin Polyak, the history of I.P. acquired the status of a historical and legal incident, which was reflected in the wording (instead of the term “papissa”, characteristic of early texts, the expression “pseudopapa” is used; I.P. saved her life, but she was “deposed” ( deposita), etc.); in addition, this version of the legend indicates the name and dates of I.P.’s tenure on the Roman throne (mid-8th century). According to Döllinger, the legend came to Martin Polyak’s “Chronicle...” from the list of Liber Pontificalis (Vat. lat. 3762), where the text about I.P. was added in the margins between the biographies of Popes Leo IV and Benedict III (D ö llinger. 1863. S. 13), but some modern ones. researchers date marginalia to the 14th century. (Pardoe R., Pardoe D. 1988. P. 12-14). Most of the subsequent mentions of I.P. depended in one way or another on the text of Martin Polyak, which is explained both by the author’s high position in the papal curia (papal chaplain) and by the wide distribution of the “Chronicle...”, which, judging by the number of surviving copies and translations, one of the most widely read historical works of the late Middle Ages. In the XIV century. I.P. was mentioned in the works of John of Paris, Siegfried of Meissen, William of Occam, Ranulf Higden, Amalric Auger, Francesco Petrarch and others.

Controversy

Despite the controversial nature of the legend about I.P. and the discrepancies contained in its different versions, in the late Middle Ages the pope was considered a real historical person. OK. 1400 I.P. was depicted among other popes in the cathedral in Siena; in the end XVI century Pope Clement VIII at the request of the card. Caesar Baronia obtained from the Duke of Tuscany that the image of I.P. be replaced with a portrait of Pope Zacharias (741-752). In 1479, the papal librarian Platina (Bartolomeo Sacchi) included a biography of I.P. (version by Martin Polyak) in op. “Historia de vitis pontificum Romanorum” (Lives of the Roman Pontiffs), written by order of Pope Sixtus IV; I.P. is represented there under the name John VIII. Until sep. XVI century only a few cases are known (researcher A. Boureau mentions 3 - Boureau. 1984. P. 453) when the historicity of the legend was questioned, including in 1451 by Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini (later Pope Pius II) in a letter card. Juan Carvajal (Der Briefwechsel des Eneas Silvius Piccolomini / Ed. R. Wolkan. W., 1918. Bd. 3. Tl. 1. N 68).

In the XIV-XV centuries. supporters of the Council movement used the story of I.P. as an argument in favor of the idea of the supremacy of the Councils over the Pope. Legendary information about I.P. was considered as an incident confirming that a person may find himself on the Papal throne who, for one reason or another, is unable to perform pastoral functions (for example: Dietrich von Niem. Dialog über Union und Reform der Kirche: (De modis uniendi et reformandi ecclesiam in concilio universali) / Hrsg. H. Heimpel. B., 1933. S. 55-56)), and that such a pope can be deposed even if he was not a heretic (for example: Gerson J. Sermon “Apparuit” (1403) // Idem. Œuvres complètes / Ed. P. Glorieux P., 1963. Vol. The legend became a reason for thinking about the depravity or, on the contrary, about the sinlessness of the Church. At the Council of Constance, Jan Hus, criticizing the Catholic Church. structures, gave the example of “Agnes, called Joanna,” who, according to him, occupied the Papal throne for more than 2 years and publicly gave birth to a child (Palacky F. Documenta Magistri Joannis Hus vitam, doctrinam, causam. Osnabrück, 1966. P. 59 -61). The Spanish theologian Juan de Torquemada drew a positive conclusion from the story of I.P.: despite the vicious presence of women on the Papal throne, Catholic. The church was not damaged (Joannes de Turrecremata. Summa de Ecclesia. II 4. 20. Venetiis, 1561. P. 395).

In the 16th century Disputes surrounding the legend of the pope acquired a pronounced confessional character. Following Hus, Protestants used the story of I.P. as an argument in polemics with Catholics. In the XVI-XVII centuries. More than 40 treatises dedicated to I.P. were published. The fact of a woman’s presence on the Roman throne threatened both the idea of apostolic succession to the Catholic Church. Church, since I.P. could perform ordinations, which should have been considered invalid, and the legitimacy of papal power (for example: Calvin J. Vera Christianae Pacificationis et Ecclesiae Refarmandae Ratio // Idem. Opera. Brunswick, 1868. T. 7. P. 633). In addition, the image of a woman on the Papal throne could serve as an example of the moral decline of the papacy and Catholicism. hierarchy as a whole (for example: Luther M. Werke: Tishreden. Weimar, 1919. Bd. 5. S. 667). As evidence of the existence of I.P., polemicists referred to pictorial sources (the image in the Siena Cathedral and the “grave image” at the place of death), and also pointed to the fact of a change in the route of the coronation procession and the presence of a ceremony to verify the gender of the elected pope. The possibility of the existence of I.P. was supported by examples from hagiographic literature, when St. virgins were forced to hide their gender or when the exact origin of a particular saint was unknown. Attempts have been made to explain the legend of the pope by the phenomenon of hermaphroditism (see: Rustici. 2006. P. 85-105).

At the same time, Catholic scientists questioned the very fact of the existence of I.P. For the first time, Onofrio Panvinio tried to refute the legend in a commentary on the biography of I.P. for the new edition of Platina’s work prepared by him (Platina B. Historia. 1600. P. 134-141). Panvinio noted the lack of reliable documentary evidence of the legend about the pope, chronological inconsistencies (a little more than 2 months passed between the death of Leo IV and the election of Benedict III), the inconsistency of the text of the legend (in particular, about the origin of the pope), as well as the inappropriateness of referring to a non-existent ceremony to verify the gender of the chosen one Pontiff, explained the change in the route of the processions by the narrowness of the “Street of the Pope,” analyzed the information about I.P. in the chronicles and made assumptions about the possible historical roots of the legend. Panvinio expanded his theses into the final chapter. XVI century Florimond de Raymond, adviser to the Parliament of Bordeaux, who published in 1587-1594. The 300-page treatise “Erreur Populaire de la Papesse Jeane” (Popular Misconception about Pope John), which became one of the most authoritative works of the Counter-Reformation period dedicated to the pope. Afterwards Raymond's conclusions were also recognized by some Protestants. scientists (for example, D. Blondel - Blondel D. Familier Eclaircissement de la question, si une Femme a esté assise au siège papal de Rome entre Léon IV et Benois III. Amst., 1647).

Disputes about the historicity of I.P. and the meaning of the legend about her as a kind of incident continued until the 19th century, when, after critical editions of chronicles mentioning the pope, it was proven that the legend developed only in the 2nd half. XIII century In Op. “Die Papst-Fabeln des Mittelalters” (Medieval legends about popes) Döllinger summed up the debate about the reality of the existence of the pope and the main ways in which the legend about her was formed. Afterwards Döllinger's conclusions were largely undisputed, although a number of details of the legend received new interpretation. Thus, the chronology of the spread of the legend was clarified (Pardoe R., Pardoe D. 1988), the time and reasons for changing the route of papal processions (D"Onofrio. 1979; Boureau. 1988), symbolism and details of the ritual of sitting on the so-called porphyry seats ( D"Onofrio. 1979) and some other subjects.

Source: Chronica universalis Metensis an. 1099 // MGH. SS. T. 24. P. 514; Chronica minor auctore minorita Erphordiensi an. 900 // Ibid. P. 184; Stephanus de Borbone. Tractatus de diversis materiis praedicabilibus. Turnhout, 2002. (CCCM; 124); Martini Oppaviensis Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum // MGH. SS. T. 22. P. 428-429; Flores temporum // Ibid. T. 24. P. 243; Geoffroy de Courlon. Le Chronique de I "Abbaye de Saint-Pierre-le-Vif / Ed. G. Julliot. Sens, 1876; Boccaccio G. Famous Women / Ed. V. Brown. Camb. (Mass.), 2001. P. 436- 441; Platina B. Historia. 1600. P. 133-141; Iacopo da sua cronaca di Genova dalle origini al 1297 / Ed.

Lit.: Döllinger J. J. Die Papst-Fabeln des Mittelalters. Münch., 1863; Müntz E. La légende de la Papesse Jeanne dans l "illustration des livres, du XVe au XIXe siècle // La Bibliofilia. Firenze, 1900-1901. Vol. 2. P. 325-329; Bilbasov V. A. Woman-Dad : Medieval legend // Ist. monographs. St. Petersburg, 1901. T. 1. P. 164; Conway B. L. The Legend of Pope Joan // The Catholic World. -798; Kraft W. Die Päpstin Johanna: Eine Motivgeschichtliche Untersuchung: Diss. Fr./M., 1925; D "Onofrio C. La Papessa Giovanna: Roma e papato tra storia e leggenda. R., 19792; Morris J. Pope John VIII: An English Woman, alias Pope Joan. L., 1985; Tinsley B. S. Pope Joan Polemic in Early Modern France: The Use and Disabuse of Myth // The Sixteenth Century Journal. Kirksville, 1987. Vol. 18. N 3. P. 381-398; Boureau A. La papesse Jeanne: Forms et fonctions d'une légende au Moyen Âge // CRAI. 1984. Vol. 128. N 3. P. 446-464; idem. La papesse Jeanne. P., 1988; Pardoe R. , Pardoe D. The Female Pope: The Mystery of Pope Joan. Wellingborough, 1988; Gössmann E. Mulier Papa: Der Skandal eines weibliches Papstes: Zur Rezeptionsgeschichte der Gestalt der Päpstin Johanna., 1994; Pope in the Reformation // Acta Conventus Neo-Latini Hafniensis: Proc. 8th Intern. Congress of Neo-Latin Studies / Ed. Schur et al. 1994. P. 495-505; of Pope Joan: In Search of the Truth. N. Y., 1999; Aubert R. Jeanne (1) // DHGE T. 27. Col. 908-912; DuBruck E. E. Pope Joan: Another Look upon Martin Le Franc "Papesse Jeane" (c. 1440) and Dietrich Schernberg's Play "Frau Jutta" (1480) // Fifteenth-Century Studies. Stuttg., 2001. Vol. 26. P. 75-85; Rustici C. M. The Afterlife of Pope Joan: Deploying the Popess Legend in Early Modern England. Ann Arbor, 2006; Obenaus M. Hure und Heilige: Verhandlungen über die Päpstin zwischen spätem Mittelalter und früher Neuzeit. Hamburg, 2008; Kerner M., Herber K. Die Päpstin Johanna: Biographie einer Legende. Cologne; Weimar; W., 2010.

F. M. Panfilov, N. L.

September 22, 2018

It is possible that somewhere in the Vatican archives lies the true story of the woman who occupied the papacy for more than two years, which has been kept secret for a whole millennium. The Vatican does not admit this fact, but legends say that Pope Joan is not a fiction. From time to time they begin to talk about her and even make films (“Pope Joanna” 1972 and “John the Woman on the Papal Throne” 2009), but there is no evidence of her real existence.

The first evidence that a female dad was allegedly real character, could have been found in the works of one of the curators of the papal library back in the 11th century. Next was the Dominican Jean de Mailly, then the baton was intercepted by Stefan de Bourbon, who borrowed the idea from his predecessor. But the most popular version is the one that arose in the 13th century thanks to the medieval chronicler and historian Martin Polyak (Martin Opawski), who took the post of chaplain in 1261. It is interesting that his detailed story about John in the Chronicle of Popes and Emperors, written at the request of one of the popes, was not refuted by anyone for two centuries.

Pope Joanna

The veracity of the story about Pope John was first criticized and disputed in the 15th century, and already in the mid-16th century the Catholic Church and historians had no doubts - such a woman did not exist, and the stories about her are fiction. But many still believe that the truth is hidden, and courageous and smart woman actually left her mark on history.

Legends about Pope John could have been born as a result of chronological inaccuracies associated with the date of the elevation of Benedict III to the papal throne after Pope Leo IV died in 855. According to some assurances, at least two years passed between the reigns of the two pontiffs, and the time period was shifted in order to remove from history the mention of the possible existence of a female pope. Another historical incident is the absence of the papal name John XX in the chronology. It is not clear whether he was removed too quickly, or there was a mix-up, which is unlikely, or there was a need to “hide” one of the popes. In fact, there are many mysteries.

A sculpture embodying the image of a legend

Opponents of Joanna's existence under the name of Pope John VIII tend to think that the rumors about the woman arose due to a period associated with the enormous influence and, in some way, dominance of the fairer sex at the court of some of the popes. But who would deny the fact of the existence of a special chair, on which for a long time, starting in 857 and ending with the first half of the 16th century, candidates for the papal throne were examined to determine whether they were male. Although there are those who claim that such chairs were used as toilet fixtures.

Legend, fiction or reality

Each chronicler interprets the story of Pope Joan in his own way., but there are still common points. No one disputes the fact that she was born around 818 in the family of an English missionary during the period when he carried out his Christian preaching in Germany. After the death of her mother, the girl’s father took her with him on her travels, where she was able to show her oratorical talent, telling listeners about Christianity. For safety reasons, Joanna was already dressing in men's clothing at that time.

After the death of her parent, the girl ended up in a monastery, where she met a young monk and fell in love with him. They left the monastery and, going on a journey, ended up in Athens. Here Joanna received her education, after which she decided to get to Rome. She ended up in a monastery, where no one suspected the disguised girl, who introduced herself as a young monk, of deception. Her intelligence and desire to engage in science drew the attention of the then Pope Leo IV. He offered the “monk” the position of secretary, and after a while he even elevated Joanna to the rank of cardinal.

Thanks to her talents and broad outlook, the woman was able to quickly win universal respect and favor among the cardinals. Moreover, Leo IV appointed the "cardinal" as the sole successor. After the death of the head of the Catholic Church, a woman was unanimously elected to the papal throne, which no one knew about. She received the name of Pope John VIII, whose reign turned out to be short and humane, and whose death was terrible.

Pope Joan as the Whore of Babylon

In the list of popes, another pontiff appears under the name John VIII. The years of his reign fall on 872-882.

The year 857 turned out to be tragic for the pope. Not only were robbers rampant on Roman roads, coastal cities were subject to constant raids by enemies, crops in the fields were destroyed by hordes of locusts, and the city was threatened by an epidemic, Joanna’s personal life presented its own difficulties. As a result of falling in love or, according to another version, from fear of exposure, the woman showed weakness, the result of which was the expectation of the birth of a child. Pope Joan wanted to keep everything a secret(the wide folds of the liturgical robe perfectly hid her belly) and even left for Ostia before giving birth, pretending that she was ill. But the inhabitants of the Eternal City were indignant, thinking that Pope John VIII had abandoned the believers at the most difficult moment and that he was not as powerful as he wanted to appear.

Pope Joan decided to return to Rome and hold religious procession to reassure and support the townspeople. On that fateful day, walking at the head of the procession, she could hardly move her legs, so cardinals supported her on all sides. The legend says that a thunderstorm suddenly began and thunder struck, during which Pope John VIII screamed heartbreakingly and fell... giving birth to a child. It was a shock to those around him.

Despite the fact that feminism is advancing by leaps and bounds across the planet, there are still places where women, by virtue of belonging to the female gender, are barred from entering. Among other things, it is impossible to become Pope. However, the history of the Vatican has for many centuries preserved the legend of the woman who dared to occupy the Main Throne - “Pope Joanna.”

Its actual existence seems doubtful, and the official papal chronicles resolutely deny it. But how could it be otherwise? This is unheard of audacity!

It is believed that this legend arose in Constantinople due to hostility between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Many historians have called it a fiction. However, don’t you think that if such a legend appeared and lived for centuries, then this is not without reason, and, therefore, history “allowed” a woman to be given the highest rank - to be the spiritual shepherd of nations.

Tradition says that after the death of Leo IV in 855, the papal throne was occupied for two years, five months and four days by a woman who entered the chronicles as “Pope Joanna” (Giovanna, Joan, Anna). They say that under this name was hiding a beautiful Englishwoman of noble blood and high intelligence. For the first time the pope was widely discussed in 1276 on a very strange occasion: after the death of Adrian V new dad took the name John XXI, and not XX, as expected by chronology. It has been suggested that the “disappearing pope” was immediately removed by his opponents upon his election. According to other assumptions, he turned out to be a woman and they tried to forget about him. Be that as it may, for some reason John XXI considered it necessary to restore the true chronology and enter the “missing number” into the list.

Many facts from the biography of this unusual woman have survived to this day. In the world her name was Agnes. Presumably, she was born in 822 into a family of English missionaries in the German town of Ingelheim, near Mainz. Agnes's mother soon died, and the child was forced to travel with his father.

The missionary profession was not without its dangers. One day the preacher had his head pierced with a stone and his arm broken. Agnes came to her father's aid. The miracle child even then showed remarkable abilities in oratory and the art of holding the attention of the crowd. In her incomplete eight years, she delivered wonderful sermons, standing on tables in taverns and inns. Her eloquence and childlike spontaneity made an unforgettable impression on the audience. In all likelihood, even then Agnes began to dress in a man’s suit.

When Agnes's father passed away, the idea of dressing up became the only saving grace for the young girl who was traveling alone around the world. Perhaps Agnes pretended to be a man in order to get good education, unavailable to women at that time. Wandering around Europe, she came to monastery under the name of John Langlois. There she received a good education in the field of theology and philosophy.

The new novice turned out to be efficient and educated. Agnes immediately began to stand out among the brethren with her knowledge and intelligence. However, the girl had already turned sixteen, and feminine nature began to take precedence over prudence. Agnes turned her gaze to the handsome monk. And how could it be otherwise if she was constantly surrounded by so many young men? The girl began by frankly admitting who she really was, introducing the young man to her charms and trying to become his faithful friend. Since then, the young people have become inseparable. Soon their tender friendship began to seem suspicious (no one could even imagine that John was not a man). After some time they secret connection exposed.

Fleeing from the fire, the couple fled from the monastery, first to England, then to Athens. New stage travel brings Agnes new knowledge and popularity. Despite the closeness of her lover, the girl will never refuse men's suit, rightly believing that this is the only way she can achieve success and realize herself as a person. Agnes participates in public theological debates and arouses the delight of the “powers that be” - duchesses, abbots, scientists. In Athens, young people attended the most famous theological and philosophical schools. The ambitious monk dreamed, having gained knowledge, to go to Rome and become a cardinal, and maybe even the pope himself. But while wandering around Europe, the young man fell ill and died of a fever. A romantic legend says that his companion, remaining in male guise, vowed on her friend’s grave to make his daring dream come true. And she set off to conquer Rome.

In the “eternal city” it was easy for Agnes to make acquaintances with representatives of the papal court, especially since most of the sacred persons were not very well educated. She was noticed thanks not only to her erudition and piety, but also to her beautiful appearance. Thanks to her remarkable abilities, oratory skills and rich knowledge, the foreigner managed to obtain a chair in a Greek school. Soon the fame of the highly enlightened monk spread throughout Rome. “Giovanni Anglico,” as the adventurer was called, became her own man at the papal court, winning the trust of Pope Leo IV. She successfully dealt with not only church but also government affairs. In particular, she supervised the construction of the high stone walls that still surround the Vatican. Agnes became a notary under the pope. Eloquence, flattery, ostentatious virtue allowed Joanna to become a cardinal.

In light of future elections, it would not be out of place to mention Agnes’s so-called PR campaign during the election of the pope. Pope Leo IV, who favored the notary John, once imagined himself like St. Peter and decided to independently walk through the sea as if on land. Naturally, nothing good came of this idea, and dad, after swimming in cold water, soon died. At that time, the heir to his throne was elected publicly, in the square. People were treated to wine, pretty women offered kisses in exchange for votes. In this atmosphere, each faction extolled the virtues of its candidate. Agnes chose to act using other methods, different from the others. Joanna found herself out of the competition: her students - brothers in the order - publicly promised: Cardinal John is not going to start a harem, as other popes did, and intends to divide the income among the poor... As a result, Joanna won and placed a triple tiara on her forehead - symbol of Rome, the Universe and Heaven.

Medieval chronicles tell us with fear that the election of Pope John VIII was preceded by all sorts of signs. In Italy, cities and villages were destroyed by earthquakes; in France, locusts destroyed the fields; in Spain the body of St. Vincenzo, stolen by a blasphemous monk who wanted to sell him in parts, appeared at night on the porch of the church, loudly begging to be buried in the same place.

The reign of Pope Joanna was short-lived, although it was marked by all sorts of achievements and prosperity. Agnes's reign was gentle and humane, without the cruelty and torture of the Inquisition. She issued bulls directed against the corrupt clergy. At the end of 855, Agnes even managed to persuade the German Emperor Lothar to become a monk to atone for her sins.

Thus, Joanna achieved her highest destiny and found herself in her place. The deception would probably never have been revealed if it had not been for the call of nature, sung throughout the centuries. Joanna immediately became the mistress of one of the high-ranking ministers of the Vatican, and a year after her election she discovered that she was pregnant. It's hard to believe. Why would a woman who has reached such a position and with such difficulty lead double life, take risks? However, there is a version that the pope entered into love affair on pain of discovery, since the young man had somehow established the true gender of John VIII.

For a long time, the wide folds of the cassock made it possible to hide the emerging figure of the pope from human eyes. However, the moment of childbirth was approaching, it was necessary to hide. Lover helped. He announced dad's illness and promised Agnes to take care of the baby. However, fate decreed otherwise. Already in the ninth month, when it was impossible to appear in public, an epidemic began in Rome. The people demanded that the pope perform a religious procession. Poor Agnes rushed about in horror, not knowing what to do. As far as possible, she tried to delay the day of the prayer service, hoping to be relieved of her burden from day to day. However, the pope was forced to submit to circumstances.

On November 20, 857, the weather was wonderful, the inhabitants of Rome poured out into the streets to take part in the celebration. John VIII, supported on all sides by cardinals, could barely move his legs. Agnes began to experience prenatal pain. In the passage between the Colosseum and the Church of St. Clement, she fell and labor pains began. Having torn her clothes, the woman gave birth to terrible convulsions. Next to the prostrate father on the ground lay the bloody corpse of a child. According to another version, she and the child were stoned to death by an angry crowd. The dead were buried in the Church of St. Clement. And according to the third version, the child survived, was sent to a monastery, took monastic vows and made a church career: he became a bishop in the city of Ostia.

What a terrible death, a terrible punishment for a woman who encroached on the holy of holies - the papal throne. For a long time, at the site of the pope’s death, there was a chapel built by grateful Romans for the wise and calm reign of Agnes. However, the clergy sought to destroy the very memory of the impostor, so over time the chapel was destroyed, and the gravestone from the pope’s resting place disappeared.

Be that as it may, no matter what the official Vatican says, refuting the existence of Pope Joan, the theme of the usurpation of the papal throne by a woman has been exciting the minds and hearts of not only historians, poets, philosophers for many centuries, but is also reflected in popular myths and beliefs . The legendary Joanna became the heroine of popular prints, couplets, and even one of the most important characters fortune telling cards"tarot", popular in medieval Europe, in the Middle East, and now they have reached us. In the tarot, the image of the pope is placed among the 22 main figures next to the pope, emperor and empress.

This theme was repeatedly reflected in the works of A.S. Pushkin, in particular in the draft of “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” there was a scene in which the old woman wished to become the “Pope of Rome.” In the final version, Pushkin omitted this fragment, but in the drafts it was preserved:

The goldfish answers:

“Okay, she will be the Pope.”

One of the indirect evidence of the existence of Pope Joan was a strange custom that lasted from the 10th to the beginning of the 16th century. This was the so-called ritual of checking the gender identity of the newly elected pope. A special chair with a hole in the center was used (now kept in one of the Roman museums). The newly-made pope was seated in it, and a deacon climbed under the seat to check his masculinity. At the word "ovum", meaning "egg", exclamations of approval were heard from the highest dignitaries (this, by the way, is where the word "ovation" comes from). It seemed that the Roman Church did not want to be deceived again. So, she had reason to fear that the woman might wear the papal tiara? The episode of the lady's brief presence on the throne of St. Peter remains one of the Vatican's most closely guarded secrets.

It's amazing how many incredible things have happened and are happening in the world. Some moments in church history are no exception. It is generally accepted that the church, with its established rules and canons, cannot make a mistake. However, some moments in the history of the church refute this rule. Pope - woman . Is this possible? Yes, that happened...

The inauguration of the Pope is accompanied by a large number mandatory and pompous procedures. But among them there is one that was introduced in order to prevent in the present and future the mistake that took place in the history of the Catholic Church.

The Pope is a woman. Is this possible?

So, this is a strange procedure at first glance - after taking off his underwear, the patient must sit on a fenced chair of a special design, equipped with two holes. One hole on the side of the seat, the second, smaller, between the legs. After this, the cardinal, who is chosen by lot, checks the sex of the future Pope by inserting his hand into the lower hole. If the cardinal is sure that the person sitting on the chair is a man, he loudly pronounces the phrase in Latin - “Habet duos testic Ulos et bene penden Tes.”

Why is it worth checking the pontiff, a very respectable and elderly man? But this tradition has its roots in the distant past, and is associated with a very unpleasant incident in history Catholic Church and the Vatican as a whole. This happened in 854. Oddly enough, it was then that a woman headed the Roman throne! Pope - woman - John VIII "English". According to historians, the “pope” was English girl, presumably from Metze, whose name was Agnes or Gilberta. This girl, after arriving from Rome to the Vatican to get an education, was forced to change her women's dress to a man's dress. It is quite possible that while studying at the university, she became the mistress or wife of the current Pope Leo IV, who brought her closer to him.

Agnes stood out among the other cardinals for her broad theological and scientific outlook; in a word, she had no equal among the cardinals. This was the reason why, after the death of Leo IV, she was elected Roman pantiff. Her reign did not last long - 2 years, 5 months and 4 days. It is quite possible that the reign of Pope John VIII lasted longer, however, to her misfortune, she had secret meetings with a Benedictine monk. The results of such meetings were not long in coming. One day, during a solemn procession that moved to the Church of St. Clement from the Colosseum, the “Papes” gave birth to a child. Angry residents of Rome tore to pieces the unlucky “Popes” and the child. Subsequently, the place where “Papa” died was immortalized with a memorial plaque.

However, in the 16th century, by the decision of Pius V “the Saint”, this memorial tablet was destroyed, and the name of Pope John VIII “of England” was forever deleted from the list of Popes. And it was precisely for the purpose of preventing the possibility that a woman could be the Pope on the throne of Christ, and a ritual was introduced with a chair on which, under pain of death, every contender for the throne is obliged to “sit.”

And yet, you must agree that the expression “The Pope is a woman” sounds somehow bewitchingly proud.