Pope John XXIII
May 14, 2008 by elberry
When it came to John XXIII’s turn to give evidence, he was disconcerted to find himself subjected to an investigation of the papal lifestyle, including accusations of a list of personal misdemeanours. Apart from the stock accusation of heresy (which could prove serious, as in the case of Hus), he was also accused of poisoning his predecessor Pope Alexander V, and of no fewer than seventy further charges - though in the end sixteen ‘of the most indescribable depravity were dropped, out of respect not for the pope, but for public decency’. This was evidently no euphemism, as indicated by the eighteenth-century historian Edward Gibbon: ‘The most scandalous charges were suppressed; the Vicar of Christ was only accused of piracy, murder, rape, sodomy and incest.’
(Paul Strathern, The Medici)
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CORRECTION: THE POPE IS JOHN XXII. STRATHERN IS INCORRECT.
I think you’ll find that was John XXII, not the XXIII. You know, Ken Livingstone’s favourite Pope; the instigator of Vatican II of blessed liberal memory.
You’re right, i discover via Google - however, Strathern consistently refers to him as John XXIII. Not very reassuring…
Bit disturbed to find my Sitemeter says you’re 4 miles away from me. It’s not that reliable, however - you could well be in the next office, disguised as a physiotherapist.
Is this what you mean when you talk about “muscular Christianity”?
i usually mean a brawnier version of you armed with a fire axe and wearing a waterproof raincoat, Patrick Bateman-like, running at a crowd of McDonalds eating chavs with a Viking scream of rage.