popes

I had to laugh this morning when I read a review of a book by John Julious Norwich called "the Popes"
Describing a 10th century pope he wrote "We read with some surprise that his rapes of virgins and widows had deterred female pilgrims from visiting the shrine of St.Peter,lest in the devout act,they should be violated by his successor"
And on the trial of John XX111 in 1416 " The most scandalous charges were suppressed. the vicar of christ was only accused of piracy,murder,rape,sodomy and incest"
Paul II in 1464 only had two weeknesses, for good looking young men and for melons. A surfeit of both brought on the stroke that killed him!
and finally the incorrigible John XXIII was rumoured to have seduced 200 matrons, widows and virgins, to say nothing of an alarming number of nuns!

Oh well. The more things change the more they stay the same!
Sheila x