What are the names of gay popes in history?

Answer 1

Another answer from our community:

In the vernacular of the twenty-first century, "gay" means someone who embraces a homosexual lifestyle. By the definition there have been no "gay" popes. Over two thousand years, we have had some characters, but none of them publicly embraced a homosexual lifestyle.

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For those of us who were born before that late twentieth century, gay means merry, cheerful, jolly, joyful, blithe, or mirthful. Using that definition, I imagine many of the Popes were cheerful or joyful men.

Answer 2

A:

We can never really know how many popes have been actively homosexual, but at least some have been known to be, while some others have been suspected of being homosexual. Generally, the existence of an illegitimate child, or "nephew", can be taken as proof that a pope was not homosexual, although some popes have been bisexual. On the other hand, intense homophobia can sometimes be a sign of homosexual self-hatred. Another caveat is that so little is known about the popes of the first millennium, that we can not say who was gay and who was not.

Later popes who are thought may have been homosexual include: Benedict IX, Urban VI, Paul II, Julius II, Leo X, Paul VI, Benedict XVI.

Until recent times, it would have been unthinkable to enquire about the sexual orientation of a pope, but things began to change. A number of people have provided testimony that Pope Paul VI was actively homosexual, even that he has caught by police in the company of a man who made no secret of their intimate relationship. Richard Sipe says of Pope Benedict XVI, and indirectly of Pope Paul VI, "I have asked a number of Roman clerics and members of the Roman press corps if they think the pope is gay. None, of course, wish to be named for obvious reasons, but every one was convinced that Pope Benedict XVI is gay. I repeat what I said at the outset. This does not impute sin or the misbehavior that plagued Pope Paul VI, but it is a strong assertion about his orientation."

Answer 3

We can never really know how many popes have been actively homosexual, but at least some have been known to be, while some others have been suspected of being homosexual. Generally, the existence of an illegitimate child, or "nephew", can be taken as proof that a pope was not homosexual, although some popes have been bisexual. On the other hand, intense homophobia can sometimes be a sign of homosexual self-hatred. Another caveat is that so little is known about the popes of the first millennium, that we can not say who was gay and who was not.

Later popes who are thought may have been homosexual include: Benedict IX, Urban VI, Paul II, Julius II, Leo X, Paul VI, Benedict XVI.

Until recent times, it would have been unthinkable to enquire about the sexual orientation of a pope, but things began to change. A number of people have provided testimony that Pope Paul VI was actively homosexual, even that he has caught by police in the company of a man who made no secret of their intimate relationship. Richard Sipe says of Pope Benedict XVI, and indirectly of Pope Paul VI, "I have asked a number of Roman clerics and members of the Roman press corps if they think the pope is gay. None, of course, wish to be named for obvious reasons, but every one was convinced that Pope Benedict XVI is gay. I repeat what I said at the outset. This does not impute sin or the misbehavior that plagued Pope Paul VI, but it is a strong assertion about his orientation."