There’s a new pope. The conclave of cardinals sent up a plume of white smoke, indicating they’d elected Chicago’s Robert Prevost to the papacy. Now known as Pope Leo XIV, he’s the first American pope ever. On this rare occasion of pope news, let’s look back on some of history’s weirdest, most baffling, and altogether bad popes.

Pope Stephen VI 

He only ruled as pope for about 15 months from 896 to 897, as the signature accomplishment of his tenure would prove to be undoing. Pope Stephen VI enacted the Cadaver Synod, a referendum on the previous pontiff, Pope Formosus. Generally opposed to Formosus’ ideas but taking issue with what he felt was a conflict of interest of agreeing to be pope when he was already serving as a bishop, Stephen VI ordered the dead pope’s body to be exhumed and stand trial. With an appointed deacon answered on Formosus’ behalf, Stephen VI found Formosus guilty of his crimes and buried him without his priestly vestments and without the three fingers he’d used to make blessings. Then the body was dug up again and tossed into the Tiber River in Rome.

Pope Alexander VI 

In the 15^th and 16^th century, the often ruthless and always wealthy Borgia family manipulated its way into ruling large swaths of Europe. Members controlled Aragon, Spain, France, Andorra, France, and the Catholic Church’s extensive land holdings, known as the Papal States. They did that by getting a Borgia elected pope. From 1492 to 1503, Pope Alexander VI, formerly known as Rodrigo Borgia, acted in his family’s financial and political interests after he bribed the college of cardinals. Then he appointed other Borgias into powerful positions and spent a lot of time reportedly galivanting with his many mistresses. 

Pope Benedict IX

Likened by one advisor in the know to a demon in disguise, Pope Benedict IX didn’t seem too committed to the papacy. He’s the only pope to serve non-consecutively in three separate periods, and that’s because he sold his position. In 1044, he reportedly sold the office, and after the ruse was uncovered, he got to be the pope again. Very quickly in 1045, he again sold off the papacy (to a friend of his father’s) so that he could get married to his cousin. That didn’t work out, and he gave being a pope another shot in 1047 until he was deposed by invading German troops. 

Pope Sylvester II

The U.S. sent its first pope to the Vatican in 2025; France landed its first pope back in 999. That was Pope Sylvester, who during his four-year term demonstrated a spiritual variance not always seen in the chief pontiff. He reportedly believed in and extensively studied magic and astrology, and he had a brass head built that he used as a decision-making tool; he interpreted its movements as answers to yes-no questions. He also claimed to be friendly with a demon, but seeing as how his time as pope coincided with an era of corruption in some sectors, those “facts” might have been rumors designed to discredit Pope Sylvester II.