What the Church doesn't want you to Know
To be clear, I grew up in a Catholic family and attended a private school for the first six years of my education. Once I transferred to a public school, my siblings and I participated in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) at the local Catholic School and Church. My religious training never included one fascinating piece of information: a woman once held the position of Pope.
Throughout the history of the papacy, there have been numerous influential figures who have left their mark on the Catholic Church. However, one figure stands out as a subject of fascination and controversy: Pope Joan VIII (8). According to lore, Pope Joan VIII was a female Pope disguised as a man who reigned in the 9th century (1,223 years ago). This piece aims to explore the origins of Pope Joan, analyze its historical context, and examine the ongoing debates surrounding her existence.
The origins of the Pope Joan legend can go back to the 13th century. The earliest written account appears in the 13th-century chronicle by Jean de Mailly, a Dominican friar.
The Crying Game
According to this account, a woman named Joan disguised herself as a man and rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church, eventually becoming Pope John VIII. The story claims that her true identity became apparent when she gave birth during a papal procession, resulting in her death.
As a result, she delivered a child while in procession from St. Peter's to the Lateran, in a lane once named Via Sacra (the sacred way) but now known as the "shunned street" between the Colosseum and St Clement's Church. In other words, the sudden and unexpected nature of her childbirth led to her actual gender being revealed, resulting in her subsequent death. The myth implies that the revelation of her true identity caused shock and outrage among the onlookers, leading to her demise.
A Unified People
In order to understand the Pope Joan legend, it is crucial to examine the historical context of the 9th century—a period of political unrest and power struggles within the Church. The Carolingian dynasty (KARR-ə-LIN-jee-ən) and their control over Rome heavily influenced the papacy.
The Carolingian dynasty was a ruling dynasty in medieval Europe that emerged in the 8th century. Its name is after its most prominent and influential member, Charlemagne (SHAR-lə-mayn, -MAYN), also known as Charles the Great, who reigned from 768 to 814. The dynasty derived its name from Charlemagne's father, Charles Martel, and his grandfather, Pepin the Short, who established the family's political power.
The Carolingian dynasty had its roots in the Frankish kingdom (Barbarians), encompassing modern-day France, Germany, Belgium, and parts of Italy. Charlemagne's reign marked a significant expansion of Frankish territories and political influence. Through military conquests and diplomacy, Charlemagne established the Carolingian Empire, the largest and most powerful state in Western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Under Charlemagne's rule, the Carolingian dynasty promoted cultural, educational, and religious reforms. Charlemagne was a patron of learning and encouraged the Carolingian Renaissance, which witnessed a revival of arts, literature, and scholarship. He also sought to strengthen the influence of the Catholic Church within his empire and maintained close ties with the papacy.
Rex Et Sacerdos
After Charlemagne's death, the Carolingian Empire gradually fragmented. His successors struggled to maintain unity and faced challenges from external invasions and internal power struggles. The Treaty of Verdun in 843 divided the empire into three separate kingdoms. As a result, the kingdoms are Belgium, the Netherlands, western Germany, eastern France, Switzerland, and much of Italy today. Most importantly, the treaty marked the formal end of the Carolingian Empire and the beginning of the period known as the Carolingian Renaissance.
Despite the empire's decline, the Carolingian dynasty left a lasting impact on medieval Europe. Charlemagne's rule set a precedent for the fusion of political power and religious authority, known as the concept of "rex et sacerdos" (king and priest). The dynasty also played a crucial role in forming the Holy Roman Empire, which immediately emerged in the 10th century and lasted until the early 19th century.
In summary, the Carolingian dynasty was a medieval ruling family that reached its zenith under the leadership of Charlemagne. Furthermore, it left a significant European cultural, political, and religious legacy, influencing new thinking and creativity regarding society's rules. Rules that we adhere to today.
Show me the Proof
While the legend of Pope Joan has captivated the popular imagination, historians have long debated its veracity. Some argue that Pope Joan was a historical figure whose existence has been deliberately erased by the Church. They point to inconsistencies in the papal lists and the lack of reliable contemporary sources as evidence of a cover-up. However, others argue that the Pope Joan story is nothing more than a medieval myth perpetuated by anti-papal sentiments or simply a cautionary tale against women gaining power.
Supporters of the Pope Joan narrative often highlight the possibility of a female pope, citing historical precedents of women in positions of power within the Church, such as the abbesses (females in charge of the Abby) of convents. They also point to literary and artistic representations of Pope Joan throughout history as evidence of her existence. However, critics contend that these representations are not necessarily proof of an actual historical figure but products of creative imagination and symbolism.
However, it is interesting to note that Medieval popes, from the 13th century onward, avoided the direct route between the Lateran and St Peter's, as Martin of Opava claimed. The origin of the practice is uncertain, but it was likely maintained because of widespread belief in the Joan legend, and it was thought genuinely to date back to that period.
Church and State
The legend of Pope Joan VIII continues to captivate the minds of scholars and the public alike. While the existence of a female pope in the 9th century remains shrouded in uncertainty, the enduring fascination with Pope Joan speaks to the cultural and historical significance of narratives that challenge traditional power structures. Whether Pope Joan was an actual historical figure or a product of myth and speculation, her story helps us identify our biases in assigned roles and how they make us feel.
As historians and researchers delve deeper into the archives and engage in critical analysis, I propose we dispense with the factual data and ask the question, why can't women play a more prominent role in the Church? Or, for that matter, the Presidency of the United States. How do you identify with this information?
