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Cathedra

VI903-1046

The Iron Century

The papacy's darkest stretch: Roman clans install, depose, and occasionally murder the popes they own.

Popes No. 118-150

Historians borrowed the name saeculum obscurum, the dark century, for the era when the papacy became the private property of Rome's warring aristocratic families. The Theophylacts and their heirs made popes of their sons and lovers; John XII received the office at roughly eighteen and scandalized even a scandal-hardened city. The nadir has a face: Benedict IX, the only man to hold the papacy three separate times, and the only one credibly accused of selling it.

Yet the same era quietly assembled the rescue party. Cluny's reformed monasticism spread a radical idea: that the church should choose its own leaders, free of lay hands. In 1046, at Sutri, a German emperor swept away three rival popes at once, and the reformers stepped into the opening.

The world at the time

  1. 910

    religiousCluny founded

    A Burgundian abbey answerable only to Rome begins the monastic reform movement that will eventually rescue the papacy itself.

  2. 962

    politicalOtto I crowned emperor

    The German king revives the empire and claims a veto over papal elections, trading one master in Rome for another.

Popes of this era

  • Leo VNo. 118 · 903-904
  • Sergius IIINo. 119 · 904-911
  • Anastasius IIINo. 120 · 911-913
  • LandoNo. 121 · 913-914
  • John XNo. 122 · 914-928
  • Leo VINo. 123 · 928
  • Stephen VIINo. 124 · 929-931
  • John XINo. 125 · 931-935
  • Leo VIINo. 126 · 936-939
  • Stephen VIIINo. 127 · 939-942
  • Marinus IINo. 128 · 942-946
  • Agapetus IINo. 129 · 946-955
  • John XIINo. 130 · 955-964
  • Leo VIIINo. 131 · 964-965
  • Benedict VNo. 132 · 964
  • John XIIINo. 133 · 965-972
  • Benedict VINo. 134 · 973-974
  • Benedict VIINo. 135 · 974-983
  • John XIVNo. 136 · 983-984
  • John XVNo. 137 · 985-996
  • Gregory VNo. 138 · 996-999
  • Sylvester IINo. 139 · 999-1003
  • John XVIINo. 140 · 1003
  • John XVIIINo. 141 · 1003-1009
  • Sergius IVNo. 142 · 1009-1012
  • Benedict VIIINo. 143 · 1012-1024
  • John XIXNo. 144 · 1024-1032
  • Benedict IXNo. 145 · 1032-1044, 1045, 1047-1048
  • Sylvester IIINo. 146 · 1045
  • Gregory VINo. 148 · 1045-1047