The nine Popes from history whose bad behavior was anything but holy

 The BBC has sparked an unholy row by suggesting Pope John Paul II had a secret love.

Hundreds of letters from the national library in his native Poland show the pontiff, who died in 2005, was close to philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymienieck.

There is no suggestion that John Paul II, who met her while still just Karol Wojty?a, broke his celibacy vow.

And it is certainly not the most serious accusation to be levelled against a Pope – as our round-up of religious rogues reveals…

Pope Julius II (1503 to 1513)

Pope Julius II apparently threw his vow of celibacy well and truly out of the window and reportedly took several mistresses.

What’s more he had at least one illegitimate daughter – and some sources suggest he had two other daughters who died during childhood.

In 1511, a council brought charges of lewd sexual acts against him, alleging on top of everything else, that he was “a sodomite covered with shameful ulcers.” Ouch.

And perhaps his greatest sin? Julius forced Michelangelo to complete the Sistine Chapel before he was ready.

Pope Leo X (1513 to 1521)

Pope Leo saw a way of making an easy buck by putting literal prices on the sins of those who confessed to him, and demanding they give him money in return for absolving them.

Naturally, the Pope blackmailed them with the threat that their souls would not be able to enter heaven if they didn’t pay up.

Not stopping there, canny Leo X also set sinner fines for crimes such as murder, incest and theft.

Pope Innocent VIII (1484 to 1492)

This Pope came up with a number of new schemes to get money flowing back into the coffers of his Vatican treasury, including strong patronage of the international slave trade of Spain and Portugal.

Naturally, the Pope continued to receive a share of the profits too.

Another way was to reinforce laws allowing marriage annulment and seizure of assets of any person (almost exclusively women) found t be a heretic. Noble women were often targeted… which was very profitable.

He also devised a scheme creating new positions in the Church which could then be sold off to the highest bidder.

Pope Alexander VI (1492 to 1503)

This Pope enjoyed mistresses too, and fathered children.

But to top it all off, showing absolutely no respect for his people, he was known to have staged comedic plays, lavish banquets, masquerades and dance parties – paid for with the church’s funds – while Rome’s streets descended into violence and crime.

Rumours soon began to circulate about him holding orgies too…

Boniface VIII (1294-1303)

This was a case of power going to one’s holy head…

Because the King of France (Philip IV) was taxing the Church to help finance his wars, Boniface VIII decided to declare that kings were subordinate to the power of the Church.

Philip retaliated by denying the exportation of money from France to Rome and after much argument, Boniface stamped his foot and excommunicated the King.

But it didn’t end there. On September 7, 1303 an army surprised Boniface, The King demanded he resign, to which Boniface VIII responded he would ‘sooner die’. Boniface was beaten badly and nearly executed. He died a month later, on October 11, 1303.

Unsurprisingly, Author Dante placed Pope Boniface VIII in the circle of Hell in his epic poem the Divine Comedy. That was for his other sin - paying for sacraments and favours within the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict IX (1032 and 1048)

Things never boded well for this Pope. Benedict IX inherited the title of Pope since he was the nephew of both Pope John XIX and Pope Benedict VIII - he was only 20 years old. It was a recipe for disaster.

Pope Victor III wrote of Benedict IX’s “rapes, murders and other unspeakable acts. His life as a pope so vile, so foul, so execrable, that I shudder to think of it.”

Saint Peter Damian described him as “feasting on immorality” and “a demon from hell in the disguise of a priest,” saying he sponsored orgies and even routinely partook in bestiality.

Benedict IX ultimately decided that he wanted to get married, so he is said to have sold his holy title to his godfather for 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of gold.

Pope John X (914—928)

It is said two noble ladies called Theodora and Marozia ruled the papacy of the 10th century, and that it was Theodora who created John X. She probably wished she hadn’t…

John X eventually spurned Theodora and instead headed straight for the charming young daughter of Hugh of Provence – enticing her into his papal bedroom.

Outrage followed, Theodora died, and nobles, led by Marozia, drove Pope John from the city.

John was eventually captured and smothered to death with a pillow in the Castel Sant’ Angelo.

Pope John XII (955 to 964)

John XII was just 18 when he became Pope and the “Patrologia Latina,” a collection of writings of church leaders, says he made a pretty bad job of the role - invoking demons, murdering and mutilating men, committing arson and gambling.

The church leaders also claimed that he “turned the papal palace into a whorehouse” by committing adultery with numerous women, including two widows and his own niece, as well as his father’s long-term girlfriend.

It all came to a sorry end in his early 20s when he died of a stroke – reportedly when in bed with a married woman.

Pope Stephen VI (896 to 897)

Pope Stephen was so aggrieved with his predecessor Pope Formosus, who he felt had wronged him, he decided to get his own back… although Formosus was dead.

He decided to try him for his crimes anyhow, and ordered for his nine-month-old corpse to be exhumed, dressed in sacred papal robes and propped up on a throne in the courtroom.

Clearly he lost the trial, Pope Stephen ordered his reign void, chopped off the three fingers Formosus had used to give blessings and ordered the body to be stripped of its robes and dumped in a cemetery for foreigners.

However, no one rested in peace. An earthquake struck the city, and the people of Rome blamed Pope Stephen saying it was retribution for his acts. So they locked him up in a dungeon where he was reportedly later found strangled to death.