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One's admiration goes forth to the few illustrations and moral men who have been bishops of Rome, whilst at the same time not condoning the system they represent. But unfortunately there were also many unworthy ones. So long as Catholic doctrine teaches that the Pope represents Christ on earth, that as supreme Pastor full power was given to him by Jesus to rule, feed and govern the Church, then the personal characters of popes cannot be ignored. Gregory VII asserted "that the Roman Pontiff, if canonically ordained by the merits of Peter, is without doubt rendered holy." Unfortunately this claim cannot be upheld from the testimony of history.

Callistus I (219-223) is described as a man of disreputable life. Hippolytus, a contemporary bishop and theological opponent, narrated at length the history of the times. Even when allowance is made for partisan bias, the matter-of-fact details of Callistus being a heretic, embezzler, runaway slave and convict cannot be ignored.

Vigilius (537-555) has an unsavory personal history. The Empress Theodora deposed the existing pope and by a disgraceful plot made Vigilius pope to support her ideas. Vigilius then exiled the former Pope, Silverius and put him to death.

Stephen III (IV) in 769 by aid of the Lombards and two prominent Church officials, Christopher and Sergius, deposed the previous pope, put his eyes out and ignominiously cast him out in the world. Later Stephen tired of Christopher and Sergius as well and tearing their eyes out had them killed.

Pope Formosus died in 896 and 8 months later Stephen VI, with his cardinals and bishops, held a trial on him. The corpse of Formosus was taken from the grave. Dressed in pontifical garments, it was propped up on the throne and received accusations hurled from Stephen's advocate. Being denounced and formally condemned by Stephen, the papal vestments were torn from him, the three fingers of his right hand were cut off and the body was then tossed into the Tiber. All his ordinations were declared invalid. Before the year was finished, Stephen himself was stripped of his vestment, thrown into prison and strangled. His successor Romanus reigned for 3 months and the next pope Theodore II for 20 days.

In the tenth and eleventh centuries Theodora, the wife of an influential Roman, and her two daughters Marozia and Theodora, frequented the Vatican often. Ecclesiastic historians like Luitprand and Baronius freely named them "harlots" and stated, "to the eyes of the dismayed Catholics the Church at that time resembled a brothel."

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In 903 Leo V was dethroned and imprisoned after a month's reign by Christopher, who a few months later shared a similar fate at the hands of Sergius III. Both were put to death. Sergius III is described by the Roman Catholic Dr. W. Barry as "malignant, ferocious and unclean." He was the father of a son by Marozia.

John XII became pope in 955 at 17 and was publicly noted for his debauchery, vice and wickedness. The Emperor Otto tried and deposed him in Rome in 963. In 1032 there arose a pope Benedict IX who became the infallible head of the Church at 12. He is acclaimed by most historians as leading a life so shameful and foul as to forbid description. After practicing adulteries and homicides, he tired of the Papacy and sold it for a large sum to Gregory VI.

Urban VI (1378-89) lived such a repulsive life that the plea of insanity has been suggested for him. Among other brutalities he inflicted savage punishment on six cardinals of his own appointment and had five of them executed.

The fifty years from 1471 to 1521 saw a succession of disreputable popes, the worst of whom was Alexander VI. He secured his election by simony and remained the slave of sensuality. His daughter Lucrezia's marriage in the Vatican was the scene of scandalous revelry. Among the ladies present was the pope's newest mistress, the notorious Guilia Farnese. Lucrezia's marriage was dissolved four years later, and her next husband was mysteriously murdered. The next marriage was celebrated in Rome with excessive pomp. When Alexander left Rome to take possession of some newly conquered fortresses, he appointed Lucrezia to be his viceregent in the Vatican! A woman presiding over the cardinals in consistory demolishes any theory of the pope being God's viceregent on earth. The authenticated accounts of the indecent orgies which took place in the presence of Alexander and Lucrezia are unfortunately too well documented to be challenged. Alexander's treachery, greed and cruelty were likewise appalling. He imprisoned the blind Cardinal Orsino after seizing his palace and goods and the cardinal's mother had to pay the pope 2,000 ducats and a costly pearl for the privilege of sending the cardinal a daily supply of food.

The list could be extended but that which has gone before suffices to show the immorality prevalent in "God's representative" on earth.