24 Holy Unreal Facts About Vatican Popes Throughout History

Pope Celestine V realized 5 months into his Papacy that he wished to return to his humble pre-papal life, so he resigned from the position. Due to fears that people would continue to think Celestine was the “true pope”, Celestine’s successor imprisoned Celestine until his death in 1296.

In 2001, Pope John Paul II entered and prayed in a mosque, and even kissed the Qur'an, in an effort to improve religious relations with Islam.

In 1858, Pope Pius IX ordered the kidnapping of a 6-year-old Jewish boy named Edgardo Mortara because the boy had been secretly baptized by a Christian servant, to raise him as a Catholic. The Pope resisted international outrage and pressure, and the kid was never returned to his family.

Pope Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests for abusing children.

John Paul I (1912-1978) was the last Pope who avoided the typical papal regalia and tried to make major progressive reforms to Church doctrine. He died just one month into his papacy under mysterious circumstances. The Church has never investigated his death.

Pope John XII is said to have died either during sex with a married woman or was beaten to death by her husband. It was among many other scandalous acts he performed, some of which included affairs, toasting to the devil, ordaining 10-year-old boys as a bishop, etc.

Pope Stephen VI once dug up the body of a previous Pope (Pope Formosus), put it on trial for bribery and rule-breaking and mocked him for being silent in front of the entire Vatican. The defendant lost the case.

Before becoming Pope, Pius II wrote in 1448 an erotic novel, which became the best-selling book of the 15th century. The book named “Historia de amantibus” translates to “The Tale of the Two Lovers.”

Pope Leo XIII outlined the rights of workers to a fair wage, safe working conditions, and the formation of labor unions while affirming the rights of property and free enterprise, opposing both Atheistic Marxism and laissez-faire capitalism.

Pope Urban VIII forbade Catholics from using the powdered form of tobacco known as snuff because of its tendency to cause sneezing, which he viewed as dangerously akin to sexual ecstasy.