Why did Pope Leo X (d. 1521) call Christ a "fable" (Cardinal Bembo: His Letters..., op. cit.).
2007-12-09 22:44:44 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Because he is a fable.
2007-12-09 22:48:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
“It has served us well, this myth of Christ."
Although widely attributed to Leo X, the earliest known source of this statement is actually a fiercely antipapal work by the ex-Catholic Anglican priest John Bale “Acta Romanorum Pontificum usque ad tempora Paulo IV” (Basel 1538; Frankfurt 1567; Leiden 1615) which was first translated from Latin into English as "The Pageant of the Popes" in 1574:
"For on a time when a cardinall Bembus did move a question out of the Gospell, the Pope gave him a very contemptuous answer saying: All ages can testifie enough howe profitable that fable of Christe hath ben to us and our companie."
The Pope in this case being Leo X.
There are no authenticated documents that state that Pope Leo X actually said this.
http://www.pgil-eirdata.org/html/pgil_datasets/authors/b/Bale,John/life.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bale
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_X
With love in Christ.
2007-12-10 16:43:09 · answer #2 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leo X lived in the late 15th/early 16th centuries (he was a Medici) and was one of the Renaissance popes who was notoriously elevated to high office less for religious reasons than for reasons of power and profit. However, that remark, which has been attributed to him, has not been sourced. He may never have said it. If he did, he would simply have been commenting that the church had done been very well financially out of the Jesus story. It was the sort of thing that a number of popes during that long-ago era might have thought , but it's less likely to be something anyone actually said.
2016-04-08 05:26:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He had one drink too many and forgot to watch what he was saying
2007-12-09 22:48:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
He thought that "fable" was less abrupt than "fairy tales" dear.
2007-12-09 22:48:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
He had just had a moment of clarity.
2007-12-09 22:54:22 · answer #6 · answered by Cotton Wool Ninja 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because he was the antichrist.
2007-12-09 22:48:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
He wasn't very bright...
2007-12-09 22:47:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
he was a dumbass
2007-12-09 22:48:00 · answer #9 · answered by Seeno†es™ 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋