Considered the youngest pope in history to occupy Peter’s throne, Benedict IX reigned during the 11th century and had three interspersed.
The historiographical sources differ as to the exact age that the young pontiff had when he assumed the papacy, but it is believed that this happened when he was between 12 and 20 years old.
Bento IX was baptized with the name of Tusculum theophylast .
His family, known as the Tusculum aristocracy, had a great influence on Rome and, consequently, about the Catholic Church – at a time when the papacy was deeply linked to secular politics, according to Thales Reis, an expert in Harvard University’s Holy Scriptures, and in modern history of the Catholic Church from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
“At that time, the noble families of Rome disputed control of the Church to consolidate the political and economic power and power,” added Reis, who is also an MBA in international relations from FGV-SP.
“It was not seen as a religious position wrapped in symbolism as it is today, but as a source of power. It was the most important position in the world, ”continued Thales Reis.
According to historian Susan Wise Bauer, author of the book The History of the Medieval World, in an interview with CNN For the documentary series “Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History” (Pope: The Most Powerful Man in history), Benedict IX’s goal was to “enrich the family even more” with the papacy.
To which the available records indicate, the first papacy of Benedict IX was from 1032 to 1044. Thales Reis says the pontiff was then deposed and replaced by Sylvester III.
James M. Weiss, Associate Professor of Theology at Boston College, also in an interview with the series “Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History” CNN he adds that Benedict IX made a kind according to the high clergy of the church.
Bento IX’s second papacy began in 1045, thus becoming the first Pope to return to power.
The authorities were divided on the fact that Benedict IX occupies the position again. Diarmaid Macculloch, a historian specializing in ecclesiastical history and history of Christianity, told CNN that there was a conflict between religion and power.
According to Thales Reis, it was on this occasion that, wanting to get married (and finance his marriage), Benedict IX sold the papacy to the godfather, then elected as Gregory VI. For the first time -and unique -in registered history, a Pope resigned in exchange for money.
Also according to the information of Thales Reis, Gregory VI would have resigned after being accused of Simony, that is, the purchase or sale of spiritual services.
Shortly thereafter, Benedict IX returned for the third time to the throne of St. Peter.
The third papacy was very short – it would have lasted from 1047 to 1048 – when it was definitely deposed by the emperor of the time.
The historical context was of political fragmentation and emerging ecclesiastical reforms.
“The church faced political instability, with many disputes for the papacy and successive depositions,” adds Thales Reis.
“With Bento IX, the Pope’s position has lost even more legitimacy and the papacy and the church as a whole faced a moral crisis – which feeds reform movements,” says Thales Reis, also citing imperial intervention, which led to a greater influence on foreign policy.
In a way, it can be said that Benedict IX was a catalyst of these reforms.
“His papacy highlighted the need to reform the papal election process, in which corruption was rooted,” says Thales Reis. “It exemplified these problems, influencing the creation of more regulated structures, with more rigor and stability,” he continued.
Since in the eleventh century the conclaves did not yet exist, there was no official way to elect a Pope.
The process was controlled by a small circle of Cardinals and Roman elites with strong influence of money, military power and political alliances, with spiritual interests being in the background, according to Thales Reis.
The conclave as we know came in the thirteenth century and has since been undergoing modernizations.
*Under the supervision of Derla Cardoso
This content was originally published in meet the younger Pope by taking command of the Catholic Church on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
