Pope Joan: the Controversial Legend

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This week we look at Pope Joan, who is alleged to have served as the only female Pope either in the 9th century or the 11th century. We look at the facts, how scholars think her legend started, inconsistencies in the legend, and the Church's reaction to the idea of a Papess. If Joan existed, she was much smarter than her male contemporaries, secular and religious. So was her legend started as an anti-Pope narrative, is it supposed to be a critique of the various "Pope Johns" of the medieval period, or could there be some truth to the story?