07/19/2004: "Question of the Day: Was there an 11 year old Pope?"
NOTE: If you'd like to submit a question, either post it as a comment in this entry or e-mail me at questions at thecrawfordfamily dot net.
I've heard this accusation a number of times so I decided to do some research. The Pope in question is Benedict IX. He was elected Pope in October 1032, that much is clear. His birthday however is more of a question mark. According to Raoul Glaber, a historian, he was born in late 1020. More current research shows that he was likely born in 1012.
While that to some degree clears up the "controversy", Pope Benedict IX was not exactly an exemplary Pope. He eventually resigned as Pope in 1045 supposedly so that he could marry and took a large sum of money from the next Pope, Gregory VI as part of the "deal". He then tried to seize it back in 1047 after he repented of the bargain, his attempt finally failing in 1048.
Before getting to the conclusion of his life, it is important to remember who the benchmark is for the Papacy: Peter. Peter was a man of great faith, but frequently made a fool of himself. In addition to denying Christ three times at a crucial moment in His life, he failed the test while walking on water and was called "Satan" by Christ (get behind me Satan). But in the end it was this man that Christ built his Church upon. (Even if you disagree about the Succession of Apostles and the Papacy, there is no denying from the Acts of the Apostles that Peter was leader of the early Church.)
Following the example He set with Peter, Christ has often called sinful and stupid men into the service of Him. Although Pope Benedict IX may have been young and foolish, it is believed he died a penitent man at the Abbey of Grottaferrata. Only God knows why he calls forth certain men to be the leader of the One, Holy and Apostolic Church.
An interesting side note is that in 1075, just a generation after Pope Benedict IX, Pope St. Gregory VII established the College of Cardinals as the means for electing the the successors to St. Peter. The College of Cardinals exists to this day and has been instrumental in helping the Church choose worthy and Holy men for the awesomely important and humbling task of leading Christ's Church.
