Random Bizarre Theories About Pope Joan, Female Pope Who May Have Not Existed (11 items)

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  (#6) A Depiction Of Pope Joan Appears In A Book By Boccaccio

  In 1362, the Florentine Renaissance writer Boccaccio composed a manuscript entitled De Mulieribus Claris, (Famous Women), a collection of biographies concerning both mythological and actual accounts of the lives of prominent females. There were 106 short profiles overall. Number 101 on the list was "Joan, an Englishwoman and Pope."
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  (#1) Pope Joan Likely Pretended To Be A Man To Obtain An Education

  Several ancient historians have written about Pope Joan, her origins, and her biography. None of these accounts are in complete agreement, but there are some commonalities in their description of a woman who eventually became a pope.

  Most notably, historians note that women weren't typically allowed to study or even leave their homes in the early to mid-9th century. But, during this time a young woman named Johanna is said to have masqueraded as male and gained entry to a monastery in Mainz, Germany. Here, she would learn Greek and Latin and other aspects of a classical education. Allegedly, she then fell in love with a fellow monk, and followed him to Athens and ultimately Rome.
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  (#3) Her Secret Was Said To Be Discovered During A Procession On "Shunned Street"

  Pope Joan, who was officially named Pope John, allegedly presided as pope as a man for over two years before her secret came to light. Involved in a customary procession from St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Joan reached a spot between the Colosseum and St. Clement's Church on a road known as the "Via Sacra" or "Sacred Way." Having become pregnant during her tenure as a result of a liaison with a companion, she was suddenly seized by labor pains, collapsed, and gave birth in the middle of the street.

  What happened next differs according to the source. Some chroniclers have her dying as a result of this debacle, some have her being shunted off to a convent, and others have her being stoned to death on the spot by an angry mob, outraged by her duplicity. Most accounts claim that her child, a son, eventually became a bishop. There is some anecdotal evidence for this story: some claim that the pope historically avoids this spot, known as the "shunned street," when on a procession nearby. 
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  (#7) The Existence Of Pope Joan Was Accepted For Centuries

  Pope Joan is definitely discussed in Martin of Opava's Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum in the 13th century, and her existence seemed widely accepted. In 1479, a Vatican scholar named Bartolomeo Platina wrote in his Lives of the Popes:

  "Pope John VIII: John, of English extraction, was born at Mentz (Mainz) and is said to have arrived at popedom by evil art; for disguising herself like a man, whereas she was a woman, she went when young with her paramour, a learned man, to Athens, and made such progress in learning under the professors there that, coming to Rome, she met with few that could equal, much less go beyond her, even in the knowledge of the scriptures; and by her learned and ingenious readings and disputations, she acquired so great respect and authority that upon the death of Pope Leo IV (as Martin says) by common consent she was chosen pope in his room. As she was going to the Lateran Church between the Colossean Theatre (so called from Nero's Colossus) and St. Clement's her travail came upon her, and she died upon the place, having sat two years, one month, and four days, and was buried there without any pomp. This story is vulgarly told, but by very uncertain and obscure authors, and therefore I have related it barely and in short, lest I should seem obstinate and pertinacious if I had admitted what is so generally talked. I had better mistake with the rest of the world, though it be certain, that what I have related may be thought not altogether incredible."  

  Platina's work was officially sanctioned by Pope Sixtus IV.
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  (#2) She Allegedly Quickly Rose In The Church Thanks To Her Intelligence And Ambition

  Historical evidence suggests that, once she arrived in Rome, Joan quickly ascended the ranks of the church. Martin Polunus, a monk who wrote a major work about this time period entitled History of Emperors and Popes, claimed that Joan initially assumed the title of "John Anglicus," or English John. Because of her education and ambition, "John" was able to climb the ladder of the Catholic church hierarchy, first as a secretary to a curia, then as a cardinal. She was finally elected pope in 855 CE.
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  (#4) Pope Joan Might Be The Reason For That Papal Chair With A Hole In It

  It was rumored that, for many centuries, a potential pope had to sit in an an ornate, marble chair with a hole cut into it, much like a toilet lid. This chair, known as the "sedes stercoraria," was used in a process described by Vatican Library prefect Bartolomeo Plalinie in 1471:

  "... when the popes are first enthroned on the seat of Peter... their genitals are felt by the most junior deacon present."

  Although the church has denied the practice ever existed, it is clear that this step in the papal election process would insure that no interlopers like Pope Joan would ever ascend to the pontiff. Any such chair has been removed from public view and is believed hidden away in the Vatican museum.

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