16. A subdeacon once called him immature, so John had him castrated and then executed to prove him wrong
As you might expect, John’s complete unsuitability for the job of Pope raised a fair few eyebrows. We’ve barely scratched the surface with his misdemeanours, but it should be already unsurprising to learn that a few people took it upon themselves to remind John of the importance of his office and discourage him from pursuing such a wicked life. A subdeacon, also called John, once told him to abandon his boyish pursuits, ask for forgiveness, and concentrate on running the Catholic Church. A subdeacon is many rungs below a Pope in the Catholic hierarchy, but John’s reaction was unprecedented.
To teach the insubordinate little twerp a lesson, John first castrated him and then killed him for good measure. That proved him wrong! As Pope, John also had his own confessor (a rare privilege before Confession became mandatory for all Catholics in 1215). John was expected to admit his sins, beg forgiveness, and accept a penance to atone for them. Having to do so didn’t sit well with a man as keen on flexing his power-muscles as John. One day, he got sick of his confessor nagging him, and blinded him as a punishment. The man died of his injuries.
