Pope Benedict IX was a real pervert. He organized orgies with children and his favorite pastime was hunting and torturing people.
"From the beginning of his pontificate until the end of his life, this scoundrel enjoyed the lack of any moral principles," wrote the eminent papal adviser and doctor of the Church, Piotr Damiani, about Pope Benedict IX. It was in Benedict's debauchery that he saw the reasons for writing his Book of Gomorrah - a treaty stigmatizing the wicked sexual practices of the papal court and the vicar of Christ himself.
A nest of the wicked
When in May 964 John XII left this world in the arms of his mistress, it seemed that nothing could overshadow its excesses. The confident Roman people and their leaders were even made to promise themselves that they would never raise an uprising against any of the popes again. Life, however, quickly verified their expectations and made them forget about the promise they had made. Almost every subsequent bishop of Rome turned out to be no less a lover of debauchery than John . All this, however, was nothing, in view of the pontificates (as many as three official) of one of his successors - Benedict IX of Tusculum, which began in 1032.
In October 1032, Theophylactus was proclaimed the vicar of Christ as Benedict IX.
The city itself seemed to define the character of the future pope. Established in ancient times, Tusculum in no way resembled the heroic leader of the Etruscan opposition fighting the growing power of Rome. Souvenirs from the period when the city became a place of rest for Roman patricians were also quickly forgotten.
The ruins of Cicero's enormous villa, theater or temples were used as a source of free building materials for the erected fortifications. For on each of the hills surrounding Rome, as historian Russell Chamberlin wrote, "there was a fortified castle, the seat of one of the new nobles who mocked the central government, occasionally moving to plunder the once mighty city, to aggravate the confusion accompanying» the elections. "Pope, then return with the spoil." So the Tusculum fit perfectly into this nefarious landscape.
Count on the throne
Moreover, Theophylact, born around 1012 (because that was the baptismal name of the future head of the Church), seemed to have assumed the throne of Peter in his genes. Not only did he come from the family of the Counts of Tusculum - adventurers who ruled Rome from the 10th century and influenced the elections of popes, two of them were his uncles. No wonder that Theophylact's father, the Roman consul of Alberick III, decided to continue the family tradition .
Of course, for him it was a political and prestigious issue, not a spiritual one. Therefore, in order to imprison his son in Lateran, he did not shy away from using bribery and his own influence. As a result, in October 1032 Theophylactus was proclaimed the vicar of Christ - and that he was a layman . This was quickly remedied by the agile father by ordaining the young pope to the priesthood.
The small number of sources concerning the political and ecclesiastical activities of Benedict IX does not allow for full knowledge of his achievements. Suffice it to say that some historians see him as a resourceful person but also boasting power . He probably presided over two or three synods and led vigorous efforts to centralize the Roman Curia. However, he agreed to the emperor's interference in ecclesiastical matters, thus contributing to the consolidation of the idea of Caesaropapism.
Benedict IX turned out to be insensitive to the complaint of the Polish prince Casimir I (later known as the Restorer)
It is also known that he turned out to be insensitive to the complaint of the Polish prince Casimir I (later known as the Restorer) regarding the destructive expedition of the Czech prince Brzetyslaw I. At the same time, he tenderly surrounded the bribe offered by the latter and the Prague bishop Severus to ease the sentence. As a result, as the historian Klaudia Dróżdż writes:“Lots of gold and asking for forgiveness basically settled the matter of Czech sin. The Pope did not acquit Brzetysław and Severus, but decided that they did it with good intentions (...) ". As if the absurd justification was not enough, their only penance was to found a well-endowed monastery.
Hit hard
However, what particularly occupied the mind of the young pope were bodily matters. In this respect, he turned out to be the true heir of John XII. His installation on the throne of Peter, the protection of a powerful family and the money flowing to the papal treasury (for example from the aforementioned Czech bribe), which did not require any effort on his part, made Benedict not hesitated to use his life to the fullest . And since, as it was said, even as a child he "displayed all kinds of wickedness", the papal office only made it easier for him.
And I must admit that he started with a strong blow. Shortly after his enthronement, he allowed a tabernacle of delight to be opened near one of the Roman churches . This lupanar very quickly became one of the best in the city. Soon followed by orgies in the papal chambers and the unimaginable extravagance associated with it . Rome was buzzing with stories of debauched parties attended by crowds of the most expensive female and male prostitutes. Moreover, at the Pope's request Lateran was to be brought to children caught in the streets - boys and girls - whom Benedict had brutally raped in front of everyone present there.
Relatively freely approaching moral issues and accustomed to the antics of Benedict's predecessors, the Roman people for some time seemed to be looking through their fingers at the actions of the new pontiff. It was argued that it was difficult to expect a lay person (only temporarily ordained) to act in accordance with biblical commands. The patience of the faithful, however, had its limits. Benedict already crossed it a few months after assuming papal dignity.
Horse lover
It was then that rumors spread across the city like wildfire that a certain groom had seen Benedict having sex with ... a horse. More than once. And when the terrifying news of his new hobby came - hunting and torturing Roman citizens at night - it was decided to get rid of him.
The conspirators wanted to kidnap the pope while celebrating mass - which he had to do, whether he wanted to or not - and then deported to Rome and probably killed. Unfortunately, the whole elaborate plan went a long way when on June 29, 1033, during the feast of St. st. Peter and Paul, “around the sixth hour of the day there was an eclipse of the sun, which lasted until eight o'clock. All the faces were white as death, and the entire surroundings turned yellow and saffron, 'wrote the then chronicler. In the sudden darkness, later recognized by Benedict as the true finger of God, the Pope noticed the imminent danger in time. Every horse that pops up ran out of the city walls.
Rome was buzzing with tales of debauched parties attended by masses of the most expensive female and male prostitutes.
When the emotions of the failed coup subsided, he returned to Rome - and to his preferences, among which there was by no means no Bible . Christ's governor was even supposed to speak of her as the biggest piece of nonsense mankind has heard . And as if that were not enough, the circle of papal interests included ... black magic . It was also said that he was allied with the devil, and witnesses assured that Benedict spoke with demons at night.
Of course, the growing discontent of the Romans did not discourage the pope from doing evil. However, not wanting to tempt fate, he voluntarily fled the city to the benevolent wings of the German emperor Conrad II, who in 1037 appeared in Italy as a mediator of a dispute between local valvasors (petty vassals) and great feudal lords. Supported by German swords, the Pope returned to the Eternal City to be able to enjoy his passions.
First fall
As long as the imperial chivalry was under the protection of the imperial knighthood, Benedict enjoyed a relatively peaceful reign. And this despite the fact that "at that time it seemed that John XII was again on the throne of Peter - rapes and murders returned to the city streets, and what was left of the riches of the papacy was squandered for the services of prostitutes , lavish feasts and the maintenance of private armies "- emphasize the researchers. One of the witnesses was even bluntly said:"Satan from hell ascended to the throne of Peter in the guise of a priest."
No wonder then that as soon as the Germans left Rome, an open revolt broke out, led by the Crescenius family competing with the Tuskulans. In the several years of fighting between the parties, the latter turned out to be the winner. After Benedict's exile in 1044, they installed their candidate, Bishop Giovanni of Sabina, in Lateran.
Accusations quickly emerged of negotiating with the devil and using secret spells (illustrative illustration)
The new pope, as Sylvester III, ruled only 3 months. At that time, however, he made himself known from the worst side. Not only was he supposed to pay for the support of the Crescents on his way to the throne, but also were accusations of negotiating with the devil and using secret spells to draw women to the papal bed. As a result, when in March 1045 Benedict (who was not officially deprived of his tiara and still formally held office) appeared at the gates of the city, Sylvester, not reluctantly, fled to his countrymen from the Sabina Hills. Interestingly, he also did not give up his papal title.
Everything the old way
Having regained the throne, Benedict did not change his lifestyle. On the contrary, the orgies got bigger and the torture and murder more frequent. In addition, the pope found a new entertainment in the form of breaking into private homes and devastating their interiors . He did not mind the growing discontent of the Roman people. However, just in case, he resigned from public appearances and participation in processions, and the army of Tuskulanians watched over his safety.
And so the already difficult pontificate got even more complicated when Benedict fell in love with his 15-year-old cousin . The father of the chosen one agreed to the wedding on condition that the pope abdicated. He was even ready to do it, but not wanting to accept the loss of the income that belonged to his position, he was still trying to look for the possibility of changing the rules of celibacy (although this was not yet fully sanctioned at the time). However, when it turned out that there was no support for pushing through them, he decided to ... sell the office he held.
Eager for the business of life, he quickly found himself. The pontifical godfather, Giovanni Graziano, was to dedicate an amount equal to 750 kg of gold for this purpose. The buyer was convinced that his act was a blow to simony and an attempt to save the prestige of the Church (!).
Fall for the second time
Giovanni, already as Gregory VI, began his pontificate at the beginning of May 1045. And almost from the march he experienced the hardships of governing the Church. Another personal changes at Lateran not only did they not calm the citizens of Rome, but also intensified the anarchy in the streets . Grzegorz took out the last pennies from his own pocket to pay for the soldiers who watched the order. Unfortunately, this only earned him a widespread hatred, because his mercenaries robbed everyone without exception.
The only hope for controlling the chaos was external intervention. Representatives of Roman citizens asked for it the German King Henry III.
Despite these troubles, Gregory might have even managed to keep on the throne, had it not been for who still claims to be Pope Benedict . Probably abandoned by his beloved - or after reflection on the unprofitability of the transaction - decided to regain the sold office . At the same time, New Year's Eve III also reminded himself about the rashly abandoned position when he entered the city with a private army. Thus, there was a government in Rome, or rather a war of three popes.
The only hope for controlling the chaos was external intervention. Representatives of Roman citizens asked for it the German King Henry III. The ruler, who was seeking the imperial crown, was eager to undertake the work, and in December 1046, at a synod convened in Sutri, he deprived all three popes of the bishop of Rome and the right to use the papal title. Interestingly, both Sylwester III and Gregory VI responded to the royal summons and humbly accepted the verdict. The only rebellious was Benedict IX, who was not going to come to terms with his next fall behind the mighty walls of Tusculum.
The Last Fall
In addition to the dignity of his majesty, Henry brought to Rome his own candidate for the pope - bishop of Bamberg Suitger. Under royal protection, he was appointed to the See of Peter as Clement II (for which the new pontiff almost immediately repaid with the imperial crowning of his principal). Despite his support for Cluniac reforms and the fight against symony, he did not manage to win the sympathy of the Roman people - in which the Pope's recognition of secular authority over church institutions undoubtedly contributed. His attempts to win over the Romans were interrupted by his sudden death in October 1047.
Only Benedict IX, perhaps even rightly accused of poisoning Clement, seemed to wait for this turn of events. Taking advantage of the enthusiasm of the Romans after the death of the unpopular Pope, he spared no gold and with the support of the Tuscan prince Boniface III, once again made himself at home in the papal chambers. Strong anti-imperial mood in the Eternal City allowed him to reign for 8 months. It turned out that the faithful preferred their own libertine than a god-fearing priest brought from abroad.
Emperor Henry III was of a different opinion, forcing Benedict to flee Rome in July 1048 - the last one, as it turned out. His further fate is unknown. It is suspected that he spent the rest of his life in voluntary exile in one of the Benedictine monasteries, where he was finally to relinquish his papal title and die as a penitent in 1056.