Benedict IX (original name Theophylactus) is hands down one of the most controversial Popes of all time. He was the last Pope from the notorious Tusculani family, he’s the only one to have been Pope on more than one occasion (three in total) and he even sold the Papacy to his godfather!
Pope Benedict IX was the youngest Pope in history – he was between 11 and 20 at the time of his election. His first term was from 1032 until 1044. In September 1044, he was forced to get out of the city and the opposition elected John, Bishop of Sabina, as Pope Sylvester III. One year later though, in 1045, he returned to Rome and he again claimed the Papacy. And it was in his second term, a few months after been declared Pope again, that he sold his papacy to his godfather Gregory VI. No one knows for sure the exact amount but it is believed to be a few kilos of gold.
But the story does not end here. (the article continues after the ad)
Gregory VI was succeeded by Clement II who, upon his death, was succeeded again by… yes, you guessed it, Benedict IX!
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Photo: Creative Commons / HWalls
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