# catholic church
30 Popes Who Changed History: The Most Shocking, Powerful, and Controversial Leaders of the Catholic Church
The papacy has existed for nearly 2,000 years, with each pope shaping history through doctrine, diplomacy, and sometimes drama. From foundational changes in Church policy to scandals and bold theological moves, the…
The Dark Side of Great Historic Figures
People are complicated. Bad people sometimes do good things, and good people sometimes make mistakes and create major issues. Great…
History’s Most Lunatic Events and People
Throughout history, many a lunatic has risen to a position of power, from which he played an outsized role in…
Historic Ideas That Aged Like Complete Garbage
Throughout history, many an idea seemed brilliant when first introduced, but turned out to be not so bright in hindsight.…
Myths About the Middle Ages Debunked
Some of what most of us know – or think we know – about the medieval period is true, and…
The Real ‘Young Pope’ Was Probably History’s Worst Holy Father
Over a thousand years before Jude Law played a scandalous pope in TV’s The Young Pope, history’s actual youngest Pope ever,…
This Failed Plot Nearly Changed History and the ‘Traitor’ Responsible Turned Into a Symbol of Resistance that Spans Centuries
“Remember, Remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason…
The World’s Grossest Catholic Relics
In 2009, a famous tour came to London. Every day for several weeks, people queued in their thousands, huddled into…
Pope Stephen VI Dug Up His Predecessor’s Corpse and Put it on Trial
Generally speaking, the papacy is a prestigious institution today, and popes are highly respected figures. During long stretches of the…
These 12 Erotic Poems and Novels Throughout History Make Fifty Shades of Grey Seem Tame
From ancient poetry to Fifty Shades of Grey, sexuality is a constant theme in artistic expression. Like all literature, erotica…