jon@qusavx.UUCP (Jon Lewis) (07/25/84)
There are at least two other questions which have multiple legitimate answers. One is "Who stole the show at the Montreal Olympics?" Not everyone, I am sure, was that charmed by Nadia Comeneci. Also, there is a "Who was discharged from the Army on Dec. 14, 1959?" or some such date. There were probably quite a few, but the only CORRECT answer is Elvis Presley.
sms@eisx.UUCP (Samuel Saal) (10/16/84)
I got a geography question which asked for the names of the countries in world with names which began with the letter "V". (Actually, at this point, I don't remember if that is the correct letter, but I believe it is) They said there were three answers and their list was correct. However, there are actually 4 countries and they missed the fourth. Since their hint was "... 3 countries" I listed 3, got 2 of theirs as well as the missing one but lost the turn because I was "incorrect". Major Bummer :-( Sam Saal eisx!sms
tommyo@ihuxw.UUCP (Tom O`Connor) (10/16/84)
There have been 23 Popes named Pope John. John the 23rd, who reigned till about `63 or `64 was the last. There have also been 2 Popes named John Paul, the current Pope and his predecessor (who held his title for less than 40 days before he died), so if you want to count that it`s 25. Tom O`Connor ihuxw!tommyo
jim@randvax.UUCP (Jim Gillogly) (10/18/84)
---------------
There are several ways we might count Pope Johns. Yes, the most recent
one was Pope John XXIII. However, Pope John XVI is officially considered
an anti-pope, and thus not a pope at all. Also, Pope John XX doesn't
appear on the lists at all. By this count we would get 21 Pope Johns.
Going the other way, if we assume John XX was really an anti-pope somewhere,
we get 23 Pope Johns ... except that there was another unnumbered anti-pope
named John between Pope John VII and VIII, which would give a total of 24...
unless you want to count the two John Pauls.
So was the number in Trivial Pursuit 20, as tentatively reported before,
or 21, as I counted? I haven't run across the question in my set yet.
Jim Gillogly
{decvax, vortex}!randvax!jimhav@dual.UUCP (Helen Anne Vigneau) (10/23/84)
<*munch*> Did they remember to count the Pope John who was really Pope Joan? I believe she was pope for ~2 years during the medieval period. I'd have to check my reference to be certain of the date, but she apparently had an affair with some priest or someone like that, got pregnant, and delivered the kid while riding on horseback to a festival or gathering. She was stoned to death, but her son grew up to be a high-ranking official of the Catholic church. Helen Anne Vigneau Dual Systems Corporation
dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak) (10/24/84)
-->Did they remember to count the Pope John who was really Pope Joan? I believe
-->she was pope for ~2 years during the medieval period. I'd have to check my
-->reference to be certain of the date, but she apparently had an affair with
-->some priest or someone like that, got pregnant, and delivered the kid while
-->riding on horseback to a festival or gathering. She was stoned to death, but
-->her son grew up to be a high-ranking official of the Catholic church.
-->
-->Helen Anne Vigneau
-->Dual Systems Corporation
-->
Aha, the legendary Pope Joan ! aka Pope John VIII . She supposedly ruled
for a period of 25 months from 855 to 858 assuming the title of Pope John VIII.
The source of the legend stems from a work by Stephen of Bourbon(remember
the source[sauce ;-) ) a 13th century French Dominican who dated Joan's
election cicra 1100 . He also stated that she was pregnant at the time of
her election, and gave birth during the procession to the Lateran,whereupon
she was immediately dragged out of Rome and stoned to death(do you think her
infant would not have suffered the same fate ?).
Later accounts fix the time between Popes Leo IV and Benedict III at only a
few weeks, this would support Stephens premise that she was pregnant at the
time of her eleection, as opposed to the legend of a 25 month reign.
In the 15th centuary her reign was accepted as fact ,even by such august bodies
as the Council of Constance in 1415, but was challenged more and more actively
as years went bye. Protestants used the legend to attack the papacy via ridicule
and by the rule of Pope Pius II the catholic policy was that the story was
unfounded.
As to Helens question as to whether Trivial Pursuit counts Joan as one of the
Pope Johns, I doubt it as an authenticated Pope John VIII(same title) was
elected in 872.
Probably Pope Joan belongs alongside ,King Arthur , Robin Hood & Hereward the
Wake as a legend than in the ranks of papal history.
PS - I have more info on Pope Joan if anyones interested( mail please)
--
Dave Peak (pyuxhh!dxp)
"Kabooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom"
- Guy Fawkes dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak) (10/25/84)
I did a bit more digging for info on popes named John.
Popes recognized by current papal policy = 21
(St John I -> Pope John XXIII)
No official John XVI or XX
Antipopes recognized(as such) by current papal policy = 3
John (january 844) no number
John XVI
John XXIII - not the same as official John XXIII
Pope Joan aka John VIII = 1
So the answer could be 21/24/25 this does not count John-Pauls.
Where did John XX get to ?
I didn't find him in the list of anti-popes.
--
Dave Peak (pyuxhh!dxp)
"He's a legend in his own mind"