Pope woman? Meet the legend of Papa Joana and how women were banned from the clergy

Martin sites the pontificate of Joana around 850, between Leo IV and Benedict III, and describes her as John, the English – allegedly originating from the country of Wales or Germany, according to later versions.

According to the narrative, Joana was taken by her lover to Athens, where she acquired a vast education. Later, he arrived in Rome, where he stood out as a teacher and theologian. He would have progressed so much that, by the choice of all, he was elected Pope, named after John. His sophisticated erudition would have led her to be chosen, still disguised as a man.

But during a procession, Joana would have gone into labor and given to light in public, thus revealing her biological sex. She and the baby would have died next. Some reports say that the indignant people would have stoned them. Others claim that it was removed from office and died enclosed.

The legend had so much impact that, for centuries, it was widely accepted as true. The master of papal ceremonies Johannes Burchard in the fifteenth century reports that, by precaution, each new Pope at the time was forced to sit in a chair with a seat in the seat (the call headquarters), while a deacon confirmed: “testicles habet et benefit” (“has testicles and are well hanging”). Although this practice already existed before legend and has other liturgical meanings, Joana’s history reinforced her symbology.

From neutrality to misogyny

In the three earliest reports – Mailly Jean, Martin the Polish and Stephen of Bourbon – there are no moral convictions to the sexual behavior of Papa. The criticism is institutional: a woman could not occupy the position of Pope.