FABLE OF A FEMALE POPE – POPESS JOAN

In various writings of the middle ages, none earlier than the twelfth century, we find a romantic story of a young woman most writers call Joan. This woman, born at Mainz, is said to have disguised as a man, and upon the death of St. Leo IV in 855A.D. became Pope(Popess). Historians in favour of its authenticity cited the authority of Martin of Poland and Stephen of Bourbon. According to their account, the Pope became pregnant but not knowing the time of her delivery, brought forth a child between the coliseum and St. Clement’s church while going from St. Peter’s to the Lateran. Other sources add that according to Roman law, her feet was tied together, and was dragged at a horse’s tail for half a league, while people stoned her. She was buried at the spot where she died and a statue was erected with the inscription P.P.P.P.P. – Petre, Pater Patrum, Papisse Prodito Partum which meant “Peter, Father of Fathers, reveal the childbirth of the Popess.

Origin of this Legend                                                                                                                                 The origin of this legend is obscure. According to Bernard Conway, atleast ten theories have been put forward to account for this legend and most of them are arbitrary and improbable. Leo Allatius believed that the people made a Pope out of a pseudo-prophetess, Thiota: Leibnitz held that a woman had been a bishop of some see outside of Rome; Suarez, bishop of vaison, traced the legend to the wife of the anti-pope, Pierre de Corbiere(1328). 

movie poster Pope Joan(2009)                                            Today, no serious historian any longer believes in the story of Popess Joan but since the story is sometimes put forward against catholics, it will be well to set forth briefly, in the words of Rev. Fernard Mourret, the reasons to show its falsity.  Firstly “The first authentic traces of the account appear in the thirteenth century, or at the very earliest of the twelfth. Those who would gladly have used it as a reproach to the Roman Church- such as Emperors or even Photius, who is so well informed about things of the west- say not a word about it. Secondly, Contemporary testimony is not only silent about the so-called Popess but proves peremptorily that in 855 A.D., Pope Benedict III followed immediately after Pope St. Leo IV leaving no room for the two year pontificate of the popess.   As to the pagan statues, there was a statue of a pagan goddess with a child in a narrow street near St Clement’s Church on the way to the Lateran. It was removed to the Quirinal by Sixtus V. The statue born an inscription of five letter Ps, which was Pater Patrum(who was priest of Mithra) Propria Pecunia Posuit (erected this monument at his own expense).   One argument conclusive against this fable is the chronological argument. All dates given of her pontificate are not only mutually contradictory, but are assigned to some other well known Pope. The most commonly given date in the legend is 855 A.D., between Popes Leo IV and Benedict III. Other dates in the legend assigned – 915A.D., 1087A.D. and 1100 A.D. – are likewise bishoprically impossible.

St. Thomas Aquinas, Ora Pro nobis.