Myths about a woman Pope....

Back before the internet urban myths still were out there. If anything they were probably more believable because of the lack of ready information to disprove these "myths". With the passing of John Paul II and the discussion about women's roles in the Catholic Church both past and future, I suppose it only makes sense that some would trot out the "St. Joan" theories once again.

Most of the websites and books out there that proclaim to believe in a woman as Pope are anti-catholic in nature. While of course there are other stories out there such as Joan of Arc and other women who dressed as men to battle, rule, etc., some which are true, some are false. So one can say honestly there have been women in history who have pretended to be men.

The Catholic encylopedia makes the "This is a myth" argument very thoroughly:

Popess Joan

Nor have all of the Popes in history been celibate. Some of them did father children, and to be blunt some acted in what we would consider very "un popelike" behavior. The Catholic Church has been pretty open about some of these men and their actions. In the Middle Ages many popes were elevated to office following the murder of their predecessors. From 882 to 1046, there were 37 popes, some of whom served only a few weeks.

Leo V (903), for instance, had been pope for only a month before being imprisoned by Christophorus, who then enthroned himself. Both men were killed in 904 on the orders of Pope Sergius III (904-911). Sergius later had a son by his teenaged mistress Marozia who became Pope John XI (931-935). In 914, according to one chronicler, Marozia's mother Theodora installed her lover on the papal throne as John X (914-928). (Theodora and Marozia it is felt controlled the papacy through these men and some believe it is because of their influence on the papacy that the myth of Pope Joan was created.) John XII (955-963), who ascended to the papacy at 19, was accused, perhaps falsely, of sleeping with his father's mistress, committing incest with his niece, and castrating a deacon.

That said however, some of these men who were Popes did far worse than what "Popess Joan" is rumored to have done yet they were not removed from the records as some claim happened with Joan.

This does however show that urban myths are not something new, infact as long as there has been man there have been myths........