did pope joan really exist?

Answer 1

I did a bit of research into the 'myth' of Pope Joan when I was studying 'Top Girls' (by Caryl Churchill) - as Pope Joan is a character in it.

As I seem to remember it, there is no substantiated evidence that she ever existed - but the story goes as thus - that she ran away from home with a male friend whilst very young, and ended up in the church, where she excelled. So much, that she reached the lofty position of Pope. But alas, nobody had ever told her how babies are created, and she got pregnant (with her male friend).
The story states that she gave birth while on a procession, and that the crowd thought she was possessed or something and stoned her, then dragged her through the city attached to horses, as punishment, until she died. Her baby was also killed.

This is apparently why any newly elected pope has to sit on a special chair with a hole in it's seat - and the cardinals check through the hole to make sure everything is...er... as it should be!

But no, no one knows for sure. Could be myth, could be true, could be a bit of both. Read top Girls though, it is an excellent play.

Answer 2

Most scholars dismiss Pope Joan as the medieval equivalent of an urban legend. The Oxford Dictionary of Popes acknowledges that this legend was widely believed for centuries, even among Catholic circles, but declares that there is "no contemporary evidence for a female pope at any of the dates suggested for her reign," and goes on to say that "the known facts of the respective periods make it impossible to fit [a female pope] in."

Answer 3

Pope Joan, Gave birth to a baby in the middle of a Papal procession.

Bartolomeo Platina's LIVES OF THE POPES published in 1479 says..
"Pope John VIII, John, of English extraction, was born at Metz and said to have arrived at the Popedom by evil arts; for disguising herself a man, whereas she was a woman, she went when young with her paramour, a learned man, to Athens, and made such progress in learning under her professors that , coming to Rome, she met few thet could equal, much less go beyond her, even in the knowledge of the scriptures; and by her learned readings and dispuations, she aquired such great respect and authority that, on the death of Leo, by common consent she was chosen Pope in his room.
As she was going to the Lateran church between the Colosseum theatre and St Clements, her trevail came upon her, and she died on that place having sat 2 years, 5 months & 4 days and was buried there without any pomp"

Also, until very recently, any one elected to Pope had to bare his breast infront of a commitee, supposedly to prove he was a man.

Answer 4

i understand for a fact that there grew to change into into no such human being. The lineage of popes is really documented traditionally, and there grew to change into into no Joan. it truly is a delusion. One clue - she supposedly lived contained interior the 9th Century, although the first time the tale seems in writing is 4 hundred years later. Do you really imagine of the enemies of the Church ought to enable this tale lie dormant for 4 hundred years till now publicizing it if there grew to change into into the slightest threat it grew to change into into real??

Answer 5

It seems to be derived from the power of Marozia in the tenth century. Her father, her lover and her son were all popes.

Answer 6

No, she's an early example of an urban legend.