Pope Joan: The Female Pope the Catholic Church Tried to Erase

According to medieval legends, a brilliant woman disguised herself as a man, rose through the Catholic Church's ranks, and became Pope in the 9th century. For over two years, "Pope John VIII" ruled the Church until the truth was revealed in the most dramatic way possible - she went into labor during a papal procession through the streets of Rome and gave birth in front of shocked crowds.

The story first appeared in the 13th century and spread like wildfire across Europe. Chroniclers claimed she was a talented German woman who fell in love with a monk, disguised herself as a man to follow him, and eventually became so learned that cardinals elected her pope without realizing her true identity. Some versions say she was dragged through the streets and stoned to death. Others claim she was quietly exiled.

For centuries, the Catholic Church acknowledged Pope Joan's existence - there are statues, chronicles, and even a papal chair with a hole in it that was allegedly used to verify the gender of new popes after her scandal. Popes were supposedly required to sit on the chair while a cardinal reached up to confirm their anatomy before coronation.

But was she real? Modern historians are divided. Some say she's complete fiction invented to embarrass the papacy. Others point to suspicious gaps in papal records and the elaborate cover-up attempts as evidence something happened. The debate has raged for 800 years.

This episode explores the legend, the evidence for and against her existence, and why the story of Pope Joan became one of the most controversial tales in Catholic history.

Keywords: weird history, Pope Joan, female pope, Catholic Church history, papal history, medieval legends, Vatican mysteries, women in disguise, religious scandals, medieval Rome

Perfect for listeners who love: religious mysteries, medieval history, gender-bending stories, Vatican intrigue, and legends that may be true.