From Murder to Lust: The worst popes in history and their shocking scandals

These eight popes prove that even the highest office in the church hasn’t always been free from vice.

When you think of a pope, words like holiness, piety, and solemnity naturally come to mind, and rightly so.

Popes are often seen as dignified figures in white robes, offering blessings and upholding the Catholic Church’s moral authority. But history reveals a darker side when the papacy was about power, politics, and pleasure.

Here are eight of the most scandalous popes in Church history, remembered not for their holiness but for the chaos, corruption, and controversy they left in their wake.

1. Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503)

He was born Rodrigo Borgia and was infamous for corruption, nepotism, and indulgence. The Borgia name is practically shorthand for scandal, and Pope Alexander VI is the reason why. He allegedly bought the papacy through blatant bribery and filled the Vatican with his relatives, appointing them to high-ranking roles. His papacy was marred by ruthless power plays, assassinations of rival cardinals, and salacious affairs. He fathered multiple children while in office, proving celibacy was more of a suggestion than a rule in his time.

2. Pope Stephen VI (896-897)

His real name is unknown. In one of the most disturbing episodes in papal history, Pope Stephen VI put his already-dead predecessor, Pope Formosus, on trial. He had the corpse exhumed, dressed in papal robes, and propped on a throne for a posthumous court appearance. Unsurprisingly, the corpse “lost” and was tossed into the Tiber River. Stephen didn’t enjoy the victory for long, he was strangled to death within a year.

3. Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303)

His real name is Benedetto Caetani and his reign was infamous for power lust and epic feuds. Pope Boniface VIII was a combative pontiff with an iron grip. He made enemies left and right. Dante, a literary legend at the time was his enemy including monarchs like France’s King Philip IV. After claiming he had authority over all European kings, he planned to excommunicate Philip who responded by having Boniface kidnapped. The pope died shortly after, bitter and defeated.

4. Pope Urban VI (1378-1389)

Born as Bartolomeo Prignano, Pope Urban VI’s reign was known for violence. Urban VI’s election triggered the Western Schism, a chaotic era where up to three men claimed to be pope at the same time. But the schism wasn’t his only legacy. Urban was known for his violent paranoia and reportedly ordered the torture and execution of cardinals who dared to conspire against him.

5. Pope Leo X (1513-1521)

Giovanni de’ Medici was Pope Leo X. He was infamous for lavish spending and indulgences. Pope Leo X had champagne tastes funded by church donations. He spent lavishly on art and architecture and plunged the Vatican into debt. He also charged people money for forgiveness. This corrupt practice enraged Martin Luther, whose 95 Theses launched the Protestant Reformation and fractured the Catholic Church for good.

6. Pope John XII (955-964)

His real name is Ottaviano and he turned the Vatican into a brothel. John XII ascended to the papacy as a teenager and acted like it. His papal palace became a den of vice, filled with gambling, orgies, and alleged satanic rituals. He was accused of blessing weapons and even toasting to the devil. His end was as scandalous as his reign: he reportedly died of a stroke during a sexual encounter with another man’s wife.

7. Pope Benedict IX (Three-time Pope: 1032-1044, 1045, 1047-1048)

His real name is Theophylactus and he reportedly sold the papacy during his time. Benedict IX is often described by historians as a “demon from hell.” He first became pope in his early 20s and was notorious for violent behaviour and moral depravity. After being forced out of office, he sold the papacy to his godfather (who became Pope Gregory VI) and then took it back again later.

8. Pope Sergius III (904-911)

Known as Sergius, the pope was infamous for murder, corruption, and fathering a future pope. Sergius III clawed his way to power through political intrigue and violence, declaring rivals “anti-popes” and reportedly having at least one of them murdered. He had a well-known affair with a Roman noblewoman, Marozia, and their alleged son became Pope John XI – making Sergius one of the few popes who may have fathered a successor.

The history of the papacy is long and complex and these eight popes are remembered not for their spiritual leadership, but for proving that even the highest office in the Church hasn’t always been free from vice.