Surprising firsts and early foundations
Power plays and global divisions
Scandals and the bizarre trials
The modern era and global shifts
YOUR GOAL
Master of History of the popes
schopenhauer Pope Benedict IX holds the record as one of the youngest and most controversial popes, taking office during a chaotic medieval era.
schopenhauer Early Christianity was highly diverse, featuring popes from North Africa and the Middle East long before modern borders existed.
schopenhauer Spin the papal dial to discover the history, firsts, and controversies behind each name.
Papal name changes: Pope John II was the first to change his name because his birth name, Mercurius, honored a pagan Roman god.
A person who claims to be the pope in opposition to the one canonically chosen. Hippolytus of Rome became the first antipope in 217 AD after disputing the election of Callixtus I.
Why did the frustrated citizens of Viterbo, Italy, lock the cardinals in a palace in 1271?
Which early pope from North Africa made Latin the official language of the Roman Church instead of Greek?
Which language was replaced by Latin for liturgies under the direction of Pope Victor I?
What does the Latin word 'conclave,' used to describe the papal election process, literally mean?
What unique historical distinction does Pope Benedict IX hold from his medieval reign?