Pope Francis: biography
Pope Francis is the 266th head of the Catholic Church, who became the first pontiff in history from the New World and a Jesuit pope. He is known throughout the world as a multifaceted, but very modest person who, in addition to his main responsibilities on the throne, makes a significant contribution to solving world problems, and also acts as a diplomat in normalizing relations with the Orthodox clergy in different countries.
Pope Francis (in the world Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was born on December 17, 1936 in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, in a large family of Italian emigrants Regina Maria Sivori and Mario Giuseppe Bergoglio. He became the fifth and last child of parents who raised their children with love and care, but in strict modesty, since the only breadwinner in the family was his father, who was an ordinary worker on the railroad. As a child, the future head of the Catholic Church was a generous, kind-hearted and generous boy.
After the abdication of Benedict XVI, who occupied the papacy for 8 years, from the rank of Pope came into force on the last day of February 2013 (for the first time in 600 years!), the question arose of appointing a new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Traditions of electing a pontiff
According to the canons of the Catholic Church, the period of time between the abdication of the current Pope from the throne (and often from the moment of his death) until the election of a new one is called Sede Vacante.
Usually this period does not exceed 20 days (in the 20th century there was not a single case with a longer period of time). However, the then-current Pope John Paul II in 1996 adopted an apostolic constitution called Universi Dominici Gregis, which corrected the process of electing the Roman pontiff. According to the document, a conclave cannot be convened earlier than 15 and later than 20 days from the moment the throne is declared vacant. No more than 120 cardinals under the age of 80 can take part in the vote.
Origin
The hero of the series “The Young Pope” - 47-year-old Lenny Belardo - is from Brooklyn, USA. The film takes place in the present day. After his election as pope, Belardo changed his name to Pius, becoming the thirteenth pontiff named after this saint.
In reality, Pope Pius XIII did not exist: the character was invented by the writers of the series.
Lenny was abandoned by hippie parents as a child and raised by nuns. His childhood traumas and personal turmoil subsequently affect a billion Catholic faithful. Pius XIII wants to become a father for believers and throughout almost the entire series he tries to get rid of thoughts of a tragic childhood that constantly overcome him. He has to renounce the “understandable” world and enter a much more complex world - the spiritual one.
Pope Francis as a young man and Pius XIII from the series “The Young Pope”
Francis
Pope Francis (before his election - Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was born in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.
Who elects the Pope?
The election of the Pope is the responsibility of the conclave - a meeting of cardinals. According to rules in force since 1975, a conclave cannot consist of more than 120 cardinals. Cardinals who are over 80 years old cannot participate. The conclave is convened no earlier than the 15th day and no later than the 20th day after the death or abdication of the Pope.
In March 2013, the new pope will be elected by 117 cardinals from around the world, and it is possible that the conclave will meet ahead of schedule, since the abdication of Benedict XVI was known in advance.
Who can become Pope?
According to the rules, any unmarried Catholic man can be elected pontiff, but for many hundreds of years only cardinals became pontiffs. The last Pope who was not a cardinal before his election was Urban VI, elected in 1378.
What is the election procedure like?
At what age can you become a patriarch or pope? Answers Mikhail Kozlov,
Candidate of Political Sciences, consultant to the Ministry of Justice of Russia
In the Russian Orthodox Church, the patriarchate has existed for approximately 500 years. During this time, the primate see was occupied by 18 primates (that is, the average reign was 27.7 years). Such interesting figures are explained by the fact that elderly elders were not elected to the Russian church throne. The candidate had to be full of strength, reach maturity and earn authority in the long-term management of the flock. Patriarchs ruled, as a rule, until the end of their days.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill
But the Orthodox Church of Constantinople over its almost 2000-year history was led by more than 230 patriarchs (thus, each primate had an average of 8.7 years). The current Patriarch Bartholomew is 76 years old.
Two years ago, on March 19, 2013, the enthronement of the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, took place in the Vatican.
Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires (Argentina) into a family of Italian immigrants.
Bergoglio had health problems in his youth; at the age of 21, part of his right lung was removed due to severe pneumonia.
Having received the education of a chemical engineer, he decided to take holy orders and entered the Villa Devoto Seminary in Buenos Aires.
He completed his liberal arts education in Chile, then studied at St. Joseph's College in Buenos Aires, where he received a licentiate in philosophy.
In 1967-1970 he studied theology at St. Joseph's College and received an academic degree. In 1970-1971 he continued his studies at the University of Alcala de Henares (Spain).
A very large number of different predictions have been made about the end of the world or the so-called Armageddon. Many seers also predicted that the current US President Barack Obama would be the last president of this country. However, one of the prophets predicted that the current Pope would also be the last.
Monk St. Malachi is called a prophet “pulled out” of oblivion. He lived in the years 1092-1148 and wrote a manuscript - prophecies about the Popes. Having devastatingly aptly and correctly described all the Popes who will lead the Vatican after him, this priest also named the last pontiff - Pope Peter II. St. Malachy connects the beginning of the Apocalypse with the last pontiff. An interesting fact is that the current Pope Francis, as it turns out, has the real name that he was given at birth - Peter. And this is the second Peter, since the first was the Apostle Peter.
Pope Benedict XVI abdicated the throne. This event took place on February 28, 2013, and hardly any of the believers expected such a turn of events - the Catholic world was taken by surprise. As you know, the post of head of the Vatican is a lifelong position, and in the foreseeable past there are no examples of the Pope leaving his post except after death. The last time this happened was almost 600 years ago.
The cardinals at the conclave chose a new Pope in just two days. The 266th heir to the throne of St. Peter is for the first time in the history of the Catholic Church not from Europe. The cardinal from Argentina is named Jorge Mario Bergolio, and upon entering the rank, he took the name Francis.
Pope Benedict XVI decided to abdicate the throne of St. Peter
The first rumors that Pontiff Benedict XVI (secular name Joseph Ratzinger), elected in 2005, intends to leave the post of Pope appeared in early February.
The election of the Pope takes place at a closed meeting of the College of Cardinals, the so-called. conclave (from the Latin conclave - locked room). The conclave must be convened no earlier than 15 days, but no later than 20 days from the moment the Roman throne is declared vacant.
Cardinals no older than 80 years of age are eligible to be elected. The number of cardinals participating in the selection of the Bishop of Rome should not exceed 120. The electors and those who accompany them live on the territory of the Vatican, now the house of St. Martha. The voting itself takes place in the Sistine Chapel. All participants in the conclave must not disclose any information related to the elections.
From the moment the conclave begins, the house of St. Martha, the Sistine Chapel and the places intended for the celebration of the liturgy are to be closed to all who do not have the right to be present. The entire territory of the Vatican and its institutions must be completely subordinated to maintaining an atmosphere of silence and prayer.
History of the PapacyThe official history of the Papacy covers a period of 1,700 years. The papacy itself is not a purely religious institution. It would be more correct to call it political-religious. It unites 1 billion 300 million Catholics living in almost all countries of the world. Relies on bishops, of whom there are 4 thousand. In Catholicism there are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, priest and bishop.
There are also cardinals. These are clergy from deacons, priests and bishops. Depending on the priesthood, cardinals are divided into ranks and united in the College of Cardinals. She performs advisory functions with the pope and elects the next pope at the conclave. This system is streamlined, proven and highly effective. It is not for nothing that Catholicism is so popular in the world and unites a huge number of believers into a single confession.
Was the Apostle Peter the first pope?
The Catholic Church officially considers the Apostle Peter to be the first pope. He is also considered the first bishop.
Created 02/11/2013 16:31
According to the Italian TV channel Rai News24, the conclave of cardinals, at which a new Pope will be elected after the resignation of Benedict XVI, will be held in March 2013.
Let us recall that on February 11, the Pope announced his intention to leave the ministry as vicar of St. Petra due to poor health.
“Because of my advanced age, I am no longer strong enough to properly carry out the ministry of Vicar Peter. I am fully aware that this mission in its spiritual essence must be fulfilled not only through actions and words, but no less through suffering and prayer,” said Pope Benedict XVI.
Biography
Pope Francis (Francesco), known in the world as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires. He comes from a family of Italian emigrants, his father worked on the railroad. The first head of the Catholic world from the New World, as well as the first Jesuit pope.
Ordination and teaching activities
Bergoglio entered the Villa Devoto Seminary in Buenos Aires at the age of 22. In 1958 he joined the ranks of the Jesuit Order. The novitiate with the study of the humanities took place in Chile. Then, returning to Argentina, he entered St. Joseph's College. After graduating with honors, he taught humanities at colleges in Buenos Aires.
In addition to his native Spanish, he is fluent in Italian and German. The new Pope also has a secular education as a chemical technologist.
Qualification for appointment as a bishop. You must be at least 35 years old, have been a priest for at least 5 years, and have a doctorate. Most bishops are doctors of theology, but you can choose some equivalent field.
Wait until the bishop retires. There are about 5,000 bishops in the Catholic Church and new ones are appointed only when old ones die or reach 75, the mandatory retirement age.
If you want to become a bishop, make a name for yourself. Local bishops submit a list of candidates to the Vatican; you cannot ask to be included. The list is kept secret and local bishops must add your name to the list to be considered.
Get the approval of the bishops' meeting. If your name is chosen, your country's designated bishop, also known as the Nuncio, will conduct an interview and present it to the panel.
In two weeks, Pope Benedict XVI intends to abdicate his throne. The pontiff announced his decision during the consistory of the College of Cardinals. According to the Pope, he began to feel a sense of heaviness from working on the throne. He thought for a long time about making this decision and decided to do it “for the good of the church,” and also taking into account his advanced age.
For many centuries, the Catholic Church has chosen the best and most worthy leader to lead its multi-million flock. However, among the 266 popes, not all were models of faith and obedience. Some of them are remembered for cruel punishments, shocking scandals and shady financial dealings.
Stephen VI
This pontiff ordered the exhumation of the body of his predecessor Formosus and a cruel trial against him. The body of the previous pope and opponent of Stephen VI was dressed in papal robes and placed in the defendant's chair. The corpse was asked questions, which were answered by the current pontiff himself. At the end of the trial, the body of Formosus was sentenced to cruel punishment. Three fingers of his hand, with which he blessed the believers, were cut off, and then his body was cut into pieces and thrown into the Tiber. This act did not please the Romans and many representatives of the church, and Pope Stephen VI was sent to prison, where he was strangled. The body of Formosus, cut into pieces, was fished out and reburied in the papal tomb.
John XII
This pontiff is rightfully considered the most immoral pope not only of his period, but also in the entire history of the Catholic Church. Having ascended the papal throne at the age of 18, John turned his palace into a brothel and gambled with donations from believers. Even Pope's ally Otto I, in a personal conversation, accused John XII of murder, perjury, blasphemy and incest with his sisters. According to some reports, John XII died at the hands of his husband, whose wife cheated on him with the pontiff. Finding them in bed, the enraged husband beat up dad. As a result of the beating, the pontiff died three days later.
Benedict IX
This pontiff ascended to the throne three times. The first time, according to conflicting data, he was between 12 and 20 years old. In any case, he was one of the youngest and most infamous popes in the history of the church. A German historian spoke of Benedict as a demon from hell who ascended to the Catholic throne in the guise of a priest. He was accused of murder, theft and adultery. According to the Roman historian, in the papal palace Benedict IX lived like an eastern sultan, surrounded by wealth and concubines.
Boniface VIII
Although this pope does not claim to be the most sinful, he is not a model of obedience and faith. After ascending the throne, he erected monuments to himself throughout Rome and declared that sexual relations with underage boys was no more sinful than rubbing one's palms together.
During his reign, he demolished an entire city due to political differences and earned himself a mortal enemy in the person of the great Dante Alighieri. It is curious that Boniface is in the eighth circle of hell in Dante's Divine Comedy.
Sixtus IV
This pontiff was accused of pedophilia and sodomy, and also that one of his nephews was the product of incest between Sixtus and his younger sister. However, it is difficult to trace the veracity of these accusations due to the fact that the pontiff had many influential enemies. What Sixtus IV can certainly be accused of is nepotism. Almost all of his nephews were cardinals, and one of them even became a pope. In addition to his negative imprint on the history of the church, Sixtus was a faithful patron of art, science and architecture. He ordered the construction of the famous Sistine Chapel, and also restored many destroyed churches in Rome.
Innocent VIII
Innocent ascended the papal throne under the patronage of the Rovere family, to which his predecessor belonged. This is the only pontiff who openly acknowledged his illegitimate children, of whom there were eight. In addition, Innocent followed the lead of Heinrich Kramer, the infamous author of the Witches' Hammer, and issued a bull calling for the punishment of witches for association with the devil, which led to the famous inquisitorial trials against women throughout Europe.
Alexander VI
At the conclave, only 7 people voted for Alexander, and he resorted to bribery, practically buying the throne from other candidates. In the world of Rodrigo Borgia, he became pope in 1492. His reign was characterized by incestuous relationships, orgies and vast amounts of money. After the murder of his beloved son, the pontiff reconsidered his views on loose morals and calmed down, but did not become less cruel. On his orders, the famous and popular Girolamo Savonarola, who accused Alexander and other popes of depravity, was hanged. After Alexander failed to bribe the monk, he ordered Savonarola to be captured and imprisoned, and then sentenced to public execution. This act brought the Reformation much closer.
Julius II
Julius II is often called the most merciless pope. He was domineering, hot-tempered and incredibly active, he even took part in military campaigns in Italy, and in the forefront. His reign led to the expansion of papal dominions and the fall of Venice. Julius II is best known for his philanthropic activities, which surpassed even the efforts of his uncle Sixtus. However, Julius died from complications after syphilis, which he contracted as a result of connections with representatives of the ancient profession. By the end of the pontiff's life, his stupas were almost completely covered with sores, so much so that the faithful could not bow before them or kiss them.
Leo X
Leo X belonged to the Medici family and was a renowned patron of art and a noble spender. In addition to the fact that he squandered the entire treasury left by Julius II, his expenses significantly exceeded the income of the papacy. To support his luxurious lifestyle, the pontiff began selling indulgences and cardinalships. This attitude towards sin and remission led to outrage on the part of the clergy and even the laity. A scandal broke out, on the embers of which the plans of the reform movement matured.
Paul IV
Paul ascended the throne at an old age, but during the four years of his reign he created an absolute autocracy and increased the influence of the Inquisition. His most terrible order was the sending of all Jews to the ghetto and the humiliation to which they were subjected while living there. By order of the pontiff, synagogues practicing in Rome were also destroyed. Paul IV was so hated by the people that after his death the inhabitants of Rome destroyed all his statues and images.
Urban VIII
The reign of this pontiff was marked by the infamous trial of Galileo. The despotic Pope Urban did not appreciate the scientist’s attempt to disseminate his work on the heliocentric system of the world, and personally presided over the court. He suggested that Galileo publicly retract his words or stand at the stake, like Giordano Bruno. Galileo chose to save his life, and the church apologized for this attitude only several centuries later.
We are accustomed to the fact that for many centuries the Throne of St. Peter is elected by a Catholic hierarch, one of the members of the College of Cardinals, usually not very young.
This tradition has existed for many centuries. However, it is interesting that in modern regulations of the Catholic Church there is no specific provision or article regarding the requirements for a candidate for the Throne of St. Petra. There are only certain references and indications, based on which one can draw a conclusion about who can become Pope.
The documents of the Catholic Church indicate that the ministry of the Pope is an episcopal ministry: the Roman Pontiff is the Bishop of the Roman Church. Therefore, in order to become a Pope, you must first become a bishop. Kan. 332– § 1 of the Code of Canon Law states that “the Roman Pontiff acquires full and supreme power in the Church by virtue of the legal election he himself has accepted, as well as episcopal consecration. Therefore, a person elected to the office of Supreme Pontiff, already in the rank of bishop, acquires this power from the moment he accepts his election.”
But at the same time it is indicated that at the time of election the candidate for the Throne of St. Peter may not be a bishop. The Code of Canon Law states that “if the chosen one does not have the episcopal rank, he should be consecrated bishop immediately.”
This rule is also confirmed by another modern document on the basis of which the life of the Church during the period of “sede vacante” and the election of a new Pontiff is regulated - the Apostolic Constitution of Pope John Paul II “Universi Dominici Gregis”, published in 1996.
In paragraph 88 of this document it is written that “after the end of the election of the Pope, a person is considered elected if he has episcopal consecration, the elected one immediately becomes the Bishop of the Roman Church, the true Pope and the head of the College of Bishops. Thus, he receives complete supreme power over the Universal Church. If the chosen one does not have the rank of bishop, then he must immediately be consecrated as a bishop.”
Thus, two fundamental legal documents of the Catholic Church indicate that only a bishop can be Pope, and if he does not have consecration, it must be given to him immediately.
It is provided that after the election of a new Pope, the cardinal electors must approach him to express their respect and obedience. After which they offer praise to God, and the senior cardinal deacon announces to the faithful awaiting the results of the Conclave the name of the new Pontiff. In turn, the newly elected Pope must go out to the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica and give his Apostolic blessing "Urbi et Orbi" to those gathered.
The Apostolic Constitution "Universi Dominici gregis" notes that if the newly elected Pope is not a bishop, all these procedures take place only after he has received the episcopal sacra. “If the elected person is not a bishop, then honors can be given to him and his election can be announced only after he has been solemnly consecrated to the rank of bishop,” the document says.
In principle, only these two references indicate who can become Pope. From this we can conclude that it must be a man, baptized and unmarried. He must agree with the choice of the cardinals and, if he is not a bishop, accept episcopal consecration.
Various situations have existed throughout the history of the Church. In the 10th century, to the Throne of St. Peter's chosen man was Pope Leo VIII. Before his election to the Throne of St. Peter, he was a notary of the Lateran Palace, one of the employees of Pope John XII. After the Conclave, within one day, he accepted all degrees of the priesthood and was proclaimed Bishop of Rome. His pontificate lasted from 963 to 965. It should be noted that Leo VIII was the last Pope elected from among the laity.
In the 13th century, to the Throne of St. Peter was elected the last non-cardinal, who had only the rank of deacon. This was Pope Gregory X. Within a few months of his election, he was ordained a priest and then a bishop. Only after this did the countdown of his pontificate begin.
The last cardinal elected to the Papal See who held only the rank of deacon was Leo X, who ascended to the Apostolic See in 1513.
The last cardinal elected to the See of St. Peter who held only the priesthood was Pope Gregory XVI. He was elected in 1831 and led the Church until 1846.
There are also some provisions of canon law that are not binding and are not spelled out in legal church documents. They are usually taken into account when appointing a bishop and therefore also apply to the future Pope. These recommendations include:
firmness of faith, high morality, genuine piety, spiritual zeal, wisdom, prudence, human virtues and other qualities indicating the suitability of the candidate for the performance of his ministry.
Residents of the entire civilized world, even non-Christians, know who the Pope is. And everyone is accustomed to the fact that only a man can occupy this honorary post (as, indeed, the post of a cardinal or even an ordinary priest, although the latter has now changed ). But history knows a case when... a woman became Pope. Although this fact is listed legend, but many people believe the story is true.
There are several versions of where exactly Pope Joanna came from and why she ascended the papal throne. Initial of these versions belongs to Jean de Meilly - he believes that this woman lived in 1004, but her real name could not be found out. At that time, women were not allowed to occupy important positions in the state, as well as engage in serious professions. But our heroine was unusually capable, and she had nowhere to put her talent and intelligence. And so, after thinking carefully, she decided to change into men's clothes in order to be able to become a notary - and soon she became one. After some time, she managed to rise to the title of cardinal, and a few years later she ascended the throne of the Pope. The cardinals learned that the Pope was actually a woman only when the pope gave birth to a son. Of course, this caused extraordinary outrage in their circle, and a decision was made to kill the woman, and to do it in a very cruel way. Another version says that everything was exactly the same, only not in 1004, but in 784.
Painting of Pope Joanpresentedlike the Whore of Babylon. Perhaps many actually considered her to be a character from the Apocalypse
According to another version of those events, Pope Joan took the place of the Pope immediately after Leo IV , introducing himself as John from Mainz (England). In early childhood, the girl was brought to Athens by her friend, and even then she took into the habit of wearing men's clothing in order to be on equal footing with the male sex. Studying was easy for her; few of her classmates could compare with her grades. After graduating from educational institutions, she came to the city of Rome, where she became a teacher. Of course, among scientists she immediately received recognition and close attention. Climbing further and further up the “service ladder”, she finally took the most important place in the church - she became the Pope. But according to this version, one faithful servant did know that Pope John was actually a woman; After all, how else could she get pregnant from him?
Pope Joanna gives birth to a son
The outcome of the story in this version is much more peaceful: she died after childbirth, and not at all at the hands of offended cardinals. It was this version that gave us the name John, which is now customary to call the only (or not?) female Pope in history. According to this version, the woman's son became a bishop.
There were later versions of the origin of this woman, in which she was given different maiden names and even attributed different visions and phenomena.
Whether Pope Joan actually existed or not is not known for sure. But after her reign, a ritual appeared in the Vatican to check the gender of a person who wants to become a pope. Today this ritual, of course, is not performed.
For a long time, the existence of the pope was considered an irrefutable fact: neither ordinary people nor cardinals doubted its truth and considered this story as true as the fact that birds fly and fish swim. But only later, after several hundred years, historians began to doubt the authenticity of the existence of the pope. For example, in the history of the world papacy, which began in the first century AD, and in which popes continually succeeded each other, there is no mention of a pope who was a woman. But adherents of the truth of history believe that the church actually hid all the facts of the pope’s presence on the throne, artificially extending the reign of one of the “neighboring” popes. And to this day the church officially claims that for the last 2000 years only men have been on the throne of the Pope.
It is also noticeable that there are many different versions about the origin of the pope, different years, different names and versions of what happened are indicated - which allows this story to be mistaken for a myth. But since everything was quite a long time ago, and even kept silent, it is possible that the pope actually existed, but the facts about her were spread from person to person in a rather distorted form.
You can draw some conclusions by analyzing the influence of the pope on the history and structure of the Catholic Church. But, alas, there are no official facts about this now. True, according to one version, during her reign 3 additional posts were accepted in addition to those already established; after the end of her reign, these posts were, of course, abolished.
One way or another, the story about the pope changes the usual understanding of the world and allows you to think: maybe many more great people were not who they are considered to be? Moreover, history knows such swindlers that even the pope could not compare with.
By the way, not everyone knows that the greatest Russian poet Alexander Pushkin dedicated one of his plays to her; True, he never wrote this play; only sketches in French remained. It should be noted that in it the pope was given the role of a rather positive character: a person who strived for knowledge and respect.
This woman also attracted the attention of directors. In 1972 and 2009, films were made about “John”’s time on the papal throne.
Pope Joan in the 2009 film
Mikhail Kozlov answers:
Candidate of Political Sciences, consultant to the Ministry of Justice of Russia
In the Russian Orthodox Church, the patriarchate has existed for approximately 500 years. During this time, the primate see was occupied by 18 primates (that is, the average reign was 27.7 years). Such interesting figures are explained by the fact that elderly elders were not elected to the Russian church throne. The candidate had to be full of strength, reach maturity and earn authority in the long-term management of the flock. Patriarchs ruled, as a rule, until the end of their days.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill
But the Orthodox Church of Constantinople over its almost 2000-year history was led by more than 230 patriarchs (thus, each primate had an average of 8.7 years). The current Patriarch Bartholomew is 76 years old. But there were also young patriarchs in the history of this church, for example Stephen I, the youngest head of the church who lived in the 14th century. Stephen replaced Patriarch Photius, who was elevated to the high priestly see straight from the ranks of the laity without passing through all the monastic degrees. Stephen was the brother of Emperor Leo the Wise and became primate of the church at the age of 18. But he did not rule for long; at the age of 21 he died, pacifying the flesh, for which he was numbered among the clique of saints.
Jude Law as Lenny Belardo in The Young Pope
A still from the TV series “The Young Pope”. Interestingly, none of the episodes were filmed in the Vatican. All sets, including the Sistine Chapel and the Papal Library, were recreated at the Cinecittà film studio
The primates of the Roman Catholic Church have the title of pope. The history of the papacy includes more than 280 high priests. The youngest are Benedict IX and Boniface IX. The latter became pope at the age of Christ (33 years old), lived in the 14th century and was remembered for his calls for military campaigns in Palestine. But the story of Pope Benedict IX is unique. According to some sources, he took the Roman throne at the age of 18, according to others - about 10 years old. Benedict was removed from the position of pope several times, but he gathered military detachments and stubbornly regained the see of the Apostle Peter.
Maddie Lyles, 12, is Salisbury's first girl choir bishop.
In the small Anglican Church, there is a custom of symbolically appointing a boy from among the choristers as bishop for a short period of time - in memory of the murdered Bethlehem babies. Thus, once a year the church service was led not by a bishop, but by a boy dressed as a bishop. With the advent of the female episcopate, Anglicans also began to have girl bishops, the first of them in 2014 was 11-year-old Rebecca Howarth, followed by 12-year-old Maddie Lyles in 2015 at Salisbury Cathedral.
