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From: dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak)
Newsgroups: net.games.trivia
Subject: Re: Trivial Pursuit Errors (Pope Johns)
Message-ID: <738@pyuxhh.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Oct-84 13:47:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxhh.738
Posted: Wed Oct 24 13:47:07 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Oct-84 04:06:02 EDT
References: <ihuxw.1003> <2067@randvax.UUCP>, <852@dual.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
Lines: 47

-->Did they remember to count the Pope John who was really Pope Joan?  I believe
-->she was pope for ~2 years during the medieval period.  I'd have to check my
-->reference to be certain of the date, but she apparently had an affair with
-->some priest or someone like that, got pregnant, and delivered the kid while
-->riding on horseback to a festival or gathering.  She was stoned to death, but
-->her son grew up to be a high-ranking official of the Catholic church.
-->
-->Helen Anne Vigneau
-->Dual Systems Corporation
-->

   Aha, the legendary Pope Joan ! aka Pope John VIII . She supposedly ruled
for a period of 25 months from 855 to 858 assuming the title of Pope John VIII.
   The source of the legend stems from a work by Stephen of Bourbon(remember
the source[sauce ;-) ) a 13th century French Dominican who dated Joan's 
election cicra 1100 . He also stated that she was pregnant at the time of
her election, and gave birth during the procession to the Lateran,whereupon
she was immediately dragged out of Rome and stoned to death(do you think her
infant would not have suffered the same fate ?).

Later accounts fix the time between Popes Leo IV and Benedict III at only a
few weeks, this would support Stephens premise that she was pregnant at the
time of her eleection, as opposed to the legend of a 25 month reign.

In the 15th centuary her reign was accepted as fact ,even by such august bodies
as the Council of Constance in 1415, but was challenged more and more actively
as years went bye. Protestants used the legend to attack the papacy via ridicule
and by the rule of Pope Pius II the catholic policy was that the story was
unfounded.

As to Helens question as to whether Trivial Pursuit counts Joan as one of the
Pope Johns, I doubt it as an authenticated Pope John VIII(same title) was
elected in 872.

Probably Pope Joan belongs alongside ,King Arthur , Robin Hood & Hereward the
Wake as a legend than in the ranks of papal history.

PS - I have more info on Pope Joan if anyones interested( mail please)


-- 

    Dave Peak (pyuxhh!dxp)

   "Kabooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom"
   - Guy Fawkes