Historic Popes Trivia Quiz

Answer: John XXIII

John XXIII opened the council in 1962 but died the next year. The work continued under his successor, Paul VI.

Answer: Joan

Pope Joan was supposedly a brilliant woman who dressed as a man. Her true sex was discovered only after she became pregnant and gave birth. As ingriguing as the story is, most historians believe it to be fiction.

Answer: Lucrezia Borgia

The Borgia family produced three popes during the 15th and 16th centuries: Calixtus III, Alexander VI, and Pope Innocent X. Alexander (and his children) were accused of many crimes, including incest, rape, bribery, and murder. The Medici were their rivals for political power in Renaissance Italy and produced four popes of their own: Pope Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leo XI. Although these popes were often questionable religious leaders, they were typically strong patrons of the arts and sciences.

Answer: Michelangelo

Michelangelo was noted as a sculptor, rather than a painter, but it's hard to say no to a pope. The project took four years... partly because this was the first time Michelangelo had worked in fresco. All of the answers were Renaissance artists - and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Answer: Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a German monk and theology professor. Besides advocating for reform, he translated the Bible into German (encouraging ordinary people to read for themselves), wrote hymns (supporting the idea that congregations, not just choirs, should sing during services), and got married (modeling clerical marriage, which is permitted in Protestant churches.)

Answer: Assumption of the Virgin Mary

The dogma of papal infallibility was formally defined by the First Vatican Council in 1870, but has a long-standing tradition in the Church. Not everything the pope says is infallible - infallibility is reserved for when the pope speaks "ex cathedra" to define a doctrine concerning faith or morals. During the history of the church, there have been very few ex cathedra statements.

The dogma that Christ as both fully man and fully God was one of those... but it was issued by Leo I, at the Council of Chalcedon, way back in 449.

Answer: Benedict XVI

Papal resignations are rare. Benedict was the first pope in 600 years to resign. The last pope to do so before Benedict was Celestine V, a hermit, who quit after only five months in office. One of his few official acts was to issue a papal bull decreeing that popes had the right to resign.

Answer: Failing to speak out against the Holocaust

Like many religious and secular leaders of the time, Pius did not openly criticize the Nazi regime. However, some people have claimed he secretly opposed the Holocaust by hiding Jews in the Vatican and instructing Catholic clergy to do likewise.

Answer: The First Crusade

The key to this question is the date. All other events occurred much later: The Spanish Inquisition was started by Sixtus IV in 1478, Henry VIII was excommunicated by Paul III in 1538, and Pius V outlawed the selling of indulgences in 1567.

Answer: London, England

Castel Gandolfo is the Pope's summer residence. Between 1309 and 1376, seven popes resided in Avignon rather than Rome.