The Five Best Popes In History

Nick Howard

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The History Inquiry

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6 min read

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Jan 10, 2022

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https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-XXIII#/media/1/304923/17082

The leadership of the Catholic Church is a lofty responsibility. While not all the men chosen for the job have proven worthy, others were shining examples of their calling.

The office of the Bishop of Rome, or the Pope, is considered the highest position in the Catholic Church. Over the centuries, the leaders of the Catholic Church choose who they believe is most worthy to lead their faith.

The power and prestige of the role are not easy to carry, and some have buckled from the responsibility. Others have proven themselves unworthy of such a role and brought shame to the office. Some tried to do their best in difficult circumstances but fell short.

Still, others have gone down in history as models of what a great pope should be. The following men are considered five of the best men to sit on the Throne of St. Peter (Since the office of the Pope did not exist during his lifetime, St. Peter is excluded from the list).

Pope Francis

Photo by Ashwin Vaswani on Unsplash

While it may be a bit controversial to place the current Pope on this list, Pope Francis's work to help reform the image of the Catholic Church over the last several years cannot be overlooked. He was the Pope we needed at the right time.

The Catholic Church has come under attack over accusations of sexual abuse, corruption, and general religious apathy in previous years. In previous years. When he first took office in 2013 following the abdication of Benedict XVI, Francis began work on fixing the image of the Church. On his first day in office, he asked them to pray for him instead of blessing the crowd.

He has made statements of acceptance of the LGTBQ community, religious tolerance and apologized for the past wrongs of the Church. While some of his comments may be a bit controversial, his intentions can be seen as for the well-being of all.

Pope Leo

Francisco de Herrera el Mozo (spanish, 1622–1685): Saint Leo Magnus (pope Leo I), Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain

When you can turn back one of the most feared conquerors in history without resorting to violence, you deserve a spot on this list. Pope Leo I was just such a man. He was the first Pope to be granted the title "the Great," and with good reason.

Leo became Pope in the year 440 during the decline of the Western Roman Empire and was a member of an aristocratic family. His most extraordinary claim to fame was when Atilla the Hun led his army to the gates of Rome in 452. According to tradition, Leo met the conqueror outside the city and convinced him to turn his army to turn away. He was not as successful when the Vandals sacked the city in 455 but led to rebuilding the city.

Leo is also known for writing the Leo Tome, which established the Church doctrine on Jesus' natures and that human nature is restored to unity with divinity. He was focused more on the salvation of people and humility than having power for power's sake.

Julius II

Julius II. Raphael — National Gallery, London

Julius II is one of the more controversial choices for this list. Known as the warrior pope, he was also suspected of bribing his was to the Papal Throne in 1503. He was a quarrelsome person, and the great writer Erasmus lampooned him in his work. Julius also sold indulgences (a way to escape or shorten one's stay in purgatory) to help pay for St. Peter's Basilica restorations.

However, Julius II's other legacy is beautifying the Vatican and Rome. He commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel and to build his tomb. Raphael worked on many rooms in the Vatican, and Bramante helped to transform St. Peter's into the great site it is Today. Some of the greatest works of the Renaissance were created due to his patronage.

Innocent III

Pope Innocent III was wearing a Y-shaped pallium. Fresco at the cloister Sacro Speco

Innocent III was possibly the most powerful yet most humble man to hold the Papal Office. When he came to power in 1198, he influenced many of the kings of Europe. He also took control during a time of massive church corruption.

While a lesser man may have fallen into the temptation of the power given him, Innocent set his energy in making changes and reforms. While his efforts to stamp out corruption were successful to a point, it also deterred any credible criticism of the Church. He also enforced the recognition of the Papacy as the supreme authority of Christiandom.

He is also known for supporting the Franciscan and Dominican orders, which worked on charity and education. His work helped spread Christian ideals and examples of how to live a good Christian life.

One black mark on his record was his promotion of the disastrous Fourth Crusade. Instead of reaching the intended destination of Egypt, the crusading army sacked Constantinople without the Pope's knowledge.

Blessed John XXIII

De Agostini Editore — StJohnXXIIICommunity.com: Info Pic Flipboard.com: Info Pic

John XXIII was a rule-breaker who shook up Catholic tradition and brought the Church into the 20th century. Much like Pope Francis, he did not only speak on God's love but showed it in his actions.

When he ascended to the office of Pope in 1958, John XXIII went to work on creating reforms. Having worked as a military chaplain during WWII and seeing the horrors Holocaust, he worked towards improving the relationship between Catholics and other faiths. He removed anti-semantic language from the Good Friday Prayer and met with other world religious leaders.

He called the Second Vatican Council to issue broad reforms in the Catholic Church. One of his most significant changes was for the liturgy to be read in the language of the congregation instead of Latin. He also issued a statement long the fundamental human rights and dignity of all people.