PONTIFACTS: Ranking the Popes

When Donus was elected to the papacy, he was already an old man, despite what his portrait would have you believe. In his episode, we discuss astronomical omens, the restoration of the autocephalous R...

20 Apr 202036min

Pope Adeodatus spent the majority of his life as a monk, and brought his enthusiasm for monastic discipline to the papacy - but not like that zealot, Gregory. In his episode, we discuss new constructi...

13 Apr 202026min

Pope Vitalian had a new approach to the current conflicts between the Roman Church and Constantinople, which worked out in his favor. In his episode, we discuss the perplexing 663 Imperial visit to Ro...

6 Apr 202043min

Given that Pope Martin never abdicated upon his arrest, Pope Eugene started his tenure as an antipope. Sort of. But meek Eugene would surprise everyone - including us, when he showed up to HAUNT US. D...

30 Mar 202025min

Real Dead Poets Society! Unrequited Love! Popes in Hell! Dante Alighieri (1265 - 1321) was a nobleman, politician, and poet in Medieval Florence, Italy. Inspired by his childhood love, Beatrice, he we...

27 Mar 20201h 12min

Martin had served as a papal legate in Dalmatia, and an apocrisiary in Constantinople, and he had come away from both with fairly sour opinions of the East. He took particular issue with Imperial inte...

23 Mar 202051min

Pope Theodore was born in Jerusalem, and found himself hastily relocating to Rome. In his episode, we discuss the Muslim conquest of the Levant, the worsening monothelite schism with Constantinople th...

16 Mar 202041min

We rolled a pretty euphemistic nickname for this pope. In his episode, we discuss the latest developments in the monothelite controversy, gentle defenses for Pope Honorius, and Slavic invasions in new...

2 Mar 202031min