The Bad Popes is a 1969 book by E. R. Chamberlin documenting the lives of eight of the most controversial popes (papal years in parentheses):
- Pope Stephen VI (896âÂÂ897), who exhumed and tried his dead predecessor Pope Formosus.
- Pope John XII (955âÂÂ964), who murdered several people.
- Pope Benedict IX (1032âÂÂ1044, 1045, 1047âÂÂ1048), who was accused of selling the Papacy.
- Pope Boniface VIII (1294âÂÂ1303), who regularly interfered in the politics of neighboring kingdoms.
- Pope Urban VI (1378âÂÂ1389), who tortured cardinals who had conspired against him.
- Pope Alexander VI (1492âÂÂ1503), who, besides being openly promiscuous, was found guilty of nepotism.
- Pope Leo X (1513âÂÂ1521), who once spent of the Papal reserves on a single ceremony, leading Martin Luther to publish the 95 Theses and spark the Protestant Reformation.
- Pope Clement VII (1523âÂÂ1534), whose power-politicking led to the Sack of Rome.
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