10 Popes Who Had Sexual Relationships While In Office

You Thought They Were Celibate?

10 Popes Who Had Sexual Relationships While In Office

Staying single and sexual abstinence in Catholic priesthood has caused controversy over the years in the church

Celibacy in priesthood is an age old law in the Catholic Church and breaking them are seen as a serious scandal which could result in severe consequences.

Looking at the long history of the Catholic Church it has been trailed with popes, cardinals, bishops and priests breaking their oath of celibacy, sexual scandals and illegitimate children had by these men of God.

Here are 10 popes whose stay in office were tainted with alleged sexually immoral acts:

 1.    Pope Sergius III (904-11): Pope Sergius III murdered his predecessor and seized power. A teenage prostitute bore him a son who became the next pope. 

2.    Pope John XII (955-64): He was 16 when he became pope. John XII was accused of sleeping with his two sisters and was killed at the age of 27 by the husband of one of his mistresses burst who caught both of them having sex, used a hammer to kill him by repeatedly hitting him on the head 

3.    The pope was known for abducting young boys around the area and using them for his sexual pleasure. 

4.    Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303): He was said to be involved in a threesome with a married woman and her daughter and was also known as a paedophile. Boniface VIII reportedly defended his actions saying that having sex with young boys was no more of a sin than rubbing one hand against the other.

5.    Pope Clement VI (1342-52) : The pope was alleged to have numerous mistresses and was plagued with a bad case of gonorrhoea. 

6.    Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84): Sixtus IV was so wild he had 6 illegitimate sons including one from his sister. He was alleged to have collected church tax on prostitutes and extorted priests who were keeping mistresses. 

7.    Pope Innocent VIII (1484-92): Contrary to his name, Pope Innocent VIII had 8 illegitimate children and was believed to have had more. It was said that while he lay dying he ordered a wet nurse to give him milk from her breast. 

8.    Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503): Alexander VI was said to have held more orgies than masses, At one of such orgies in 1501, he was reported to have invited fifty female dancers who slowly stripped around his table, forcing them to pick up chestnuts he threw on the floor. The pope was said to have challenged every man in the vicinity to see who could sleep with the most women and loved to see horses mating

9.    Pope Julius II (1503-13): Julius II was the first pope to contract syphilis which was known as “French Disease” which he was said to have gotten from Roman male prostitutes. He refused to allow his feet to be kissed by the faithful on Good Friday of 1508, because his feet was covered with syphilitic sores

10. Pope Julius III (1550-55): Julius III fell in love with a young beggar boy he saw on the street. He was said to have begun a sexual relationship with the boy and appointed him a cardinal.