Either true or not.
Legend has it that once a woman took the post of Pope. This happened allegedly in the middle of the 9th century, she ascended the throne under the name John 7 and was killed by a crowd during a festive procession through Rome, since she was able to give birth to a child right there, in front of all honest people. There is no proof of the legend (otherwise it would be a fact, not a legend), there are only some indications, so to speak circumstantial evidence.
The first piece of evidence is that the procedure for electing the Pope allegedly stipulates that the conclave must directly ascertain whether a candidate is male. In support of this evidence, a certain chair with a hole in the seat is shown, actually kept in the Vatican. Candidates are supposedly seated on this chair, and a specially appointed cardinal, by probing, certifies the gender. As the procedure is described in the literature, this is complete nonsense. In fact, a chair with a hole is a toilet that was used in the Vatican built in the Middle Ages even in the 20th century. Now there, as elsewhere, there is a normal sewerage system, including, of course, the papal chambers. The famous Sistine Chapel, where the meetings of the conclave that elects the pope take place, also has its own sanitary facility, since elections can last for days.and all this time it is forbidden to leave the premises. So the chair was taken to the museum. By the way, earlier, after one conclave lasted no less than a year and a half, the cardinals in the Chapel were walled up (that is, they really did brick the entrance) and left inside without food and water until they chose a new pope. Now they just lock the door and the food seems to be delivered by pushing it through a special window. In addition, there is a hole in the ceiling of the Capella painted by Michelangelo, where a pipe is inserted from a special stove designed to burn voting papers. While black smoke is coming out of the chimney, this is a sign that dad has not been chosen yet, and white smoke means that the choice has been made. It used to be a sign that the masonry could be disassembled and the cardinals could be released, and some of them had to be endured as they weakened so much.
Photo: bibliotecapleyades.net
The second piece of evidence is the evidence of the notorious enemy of Catholicism, Luther. In drinking conversations, he mentioned that he saw in Rome a memorial place dedicated to John 7, supposedly the very one where she was released from childbirth and was killed. Luther said that when he was a pilgrim in Rome, there was a statue of John 7.
The place still exists today, although the name of Pope John 7 is no longer listed there, officially it is just one of the many places dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Curiously, all the processions of the cross, arranged in Rome, bypassing other places of veneration of the Mother of God, make a big circle around this, not a single one passes by. The statue of the Virgin Mary standing there really differs from most other images, since it depicts her in church vestments, which, although rare, is still not a complete exception. Many people think that the statue is the image of John 7, only repainted.
Promotional video:
Photo: riscriverelastoria.files.wordpress.com
The third piece of evidence is medieval chronicles. In the official papal lists, John 7, of course, appears, but his feminine essence is of course denied. However, in some medieval chronicles John 7 is called by the name of Giovanni Femina, i.e. John Woman.
The fourth piece of evidence is the verdict of the Jan Hus trial. When Jan Hus was tried at the Council in Constanta, 50 charges were brought against him. The court found him guilty on 49 counts. The only point on which he was not found guilty was Jan Hus's assertion that the conclave of cardinals is not an infallible authority. As proof that the conclave could be wrong, Huss cited the legend of Pope John. This suggests at least that the judges themselves fully believed in the truth of the legend.
By the way, perhaps in order to avoid such incidents, already in the 20th century, the Catholic Church adopted the dogma of the infallibility of the popes of Rome, the quality is truly divine.
Photo: awesomestories.com
The legend itself is that the daughter of an English missionary who lived in Germany in Mainz went to a monastery because she wanted to study. According to legend, her father was a kind of despot who considered women second-class creatures, for whom even the ability to count was an unnecessary luxury and even a sin. The fact that the clergyman had a child indicates that John's father did not have an official rank. It is not for nothing that he is called a missionary, not a priest. Obviously, he was an adherent even for the Middle Ages too right-wing radical views. However, in the 9th century there were already women's monasteries, although the level of cultural work in them was lower than in the men's. Probably, the girl wanted to quickly leave the house, until she was finally beaten, and the convent might simply not be nearby.
Most likely, she was one of those women who look like men. It happens, as you know. Fulfilling the monastic rules, she could well not arouse any special suspicions. It is clear that Joanna had a careerist character. From the monastery novice in Mainz to the Pope in Rome, the path is not a short one. To pass it, you need an iron determination, intelligence and cunning. You cannot climb to the top of your career without struggle, intrigue and discipline. In the dignity of Pope John 6 she spent 2.5 years. This suggests that she committed the sin that led to pregnancy while on the throne. It is strange that a person who inevitably showed will, intelligence and cunning in reaching his position should commit such stupidity. Of course, we know a lot of examples when people, having reached the heights of career, power and wealth, as they say, indulge in all seriousness. But the point isthat the popular rumor, preserved in the legend, speaks of John 7 just very positively, distinguishing him from a number of libertines and bribe-takers who disgraced the Holy See in the Middle Ages.
Photo: publicsculpturesofsussex.co.uk