New evidence shows that a pope may indeed have existed

In various areas of knowledge and in different professions, there are stories of women who, in a past when some activities were restricted to men, disguised themselves in order to do what they wanted. Now, however, we are closer to believing that one of them took that determination to the extreme, becoming pope - or rather, pope!

Her name would have been Pope John - Johannes Anglicus - and she would not only have impersonated a man for years, but would have become pregnant during his time as pontiff.

Although until then all this was just a rumor, a strong frill spurred over the millennia, a new group of Australian researchers led by archaeologist Michael Habitch found new antique silver coins that indicate, through a symbol, that Pope Johannes existed. indeed.

On one side the coin bore the name of the Emperor of the Franks and on the other a monogram of the Pope. The point is that there are more than one of these types of inscriptions that are like metal-minted signatures. In addition to one that is confirmed as a symbol of John VIII, who reigned between 872 and 882, there is another now believed to be Johannes Anglicus, who could have been pope between 856 and 858.

“In the beginning, I also believed that Johannes's story was mere fiction; but when I did a more extensive research, I noticed there might be more behind the story, ”Habitch told the Live Science website.

The Catholic Church, of course, strongly denies that Johannes was actually a woman and explains that the records of someone pregnant giving birth during a papacy refer to a niece of Pope Urban VIII.

What the research team argues, however, is that there would be no reason for such coins to be forged or counterfeited, as such items have no financial value or are of interest to collectors - which usually justifies counterfeiting.

"Some will embrace my study and find other evidence for female priests in the early centuries of Christianity, " said Habich. “Others will reject the idea entirely and make a big noise in the media against such allegations. A great battle can follow and last forever, ”he says.

The bullshit won't be new, though! Her existence intrigues people so much that the pope has already starred in books, films, plays and other works of fiction.

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