• Source: List of sexually active popes

This is a list of sexually active popes, Catholic priests who were not celibate before they became pope, and those who were legally married before becoming pope. Some candidates were allegedly sexually active before their election as pope, and others were thought to have been sexually active during their papacies. A number of them had children.
There are various classifications for those who were sexually active during their lives. Allegations of sexual activities are of varying levels of reliability, with several having been made by contemporary political or religious opponents. Some claims are generally accepted by modern historians, while other remain more contested.




Background



For many years of the Church's history, celibacy was considered optional. Based on the customs of the times, it is assumed by many that most of the Twelve Apostles were married and had families. The New Testament (Mark 1:29–31; Matthew 8:14–15; Luke 4:38–39; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6) depicts at least Peter as being married, and bishops, priests and deacons of the Early Church were often married as well. In epigraphy, the testimony of the Church Fathers, synodal legislation, and papal decretals in the following centuries, a married clergy, in greater or lesser numbers, was a feature of the life of the Church. Celibacy was not required for those ordained and was accepted in the early Church, particularly by those in the monastic life.
Although various local Church councils had demanded celibacy of the clergy in a particular episcopal jurisdiction, it was not until the Second Lateran Council (1139) that official made the promise to remain celibate a prerequisite to ordination within the Latin Church (and effectively ended any practice of a married priesthood). Subsequently sexual relationships were generally undertaken outside the bonds of marriage, and each sexual act thus committed would have been considered a mortal sin.




Popes who were legally married






Fathered illegitimate children before holy orders






Known to or suspected of having fathered illegitimate children after receiving holy orders






Popes alleged to be sexually active during pontificate


A majority of the allegations made in this section are disputed by modern historians.




= Relationships with women

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= Relationships with men

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= Relationships with women and men

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See also


Pope Joan
Antipope John XXIII
Antipope Felix V
History of clerical celibacy in the Christian Church




Notes






References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• List of sexually active popes
• List of popes (graphical)
• List of popes
• Pope Benedict IX
• Saeculum obscurum
• Banquet of Chestnuts
• Pope Alexander VI
• List of canonised popes
• Pope John XII
• List of popes by country