My mom recently sent me a link to this video over email because apparently it's woman's history month and she's super excited about it. But anyway, the video and article go into detail about a myth that there used to be a woman pope, Pope Joan. According to legend, she disguised herself as a man, exceeded all the men in their religious studies, and became pope.
Unfortunately, during a papal procession, she went into labor and exposed the fact that she was a woman. The crowd descended on her and her child, killing them both.
I guess it's nice to know that this disturbing tale is only a myth, and something that Hollywood capitalized on by making two movies on it. But they do explore another aspect of the story: the fact that chairs in which cardinals sit often have a big hole cut out of them. Could this be so you could "check" whether the person sitting on it was a man or a woman? Why would they even need chairs like this if there wasn't ever a threat of a woman cardinal?
It is unlikely that we will have a woman pope anytime soon; the Catholic church still remains a male-dominated hierarchy, and one in which 115 male cardinals vote for the next pope. However, woman still may be able to influence the church more indirectly, and they are still an important aspect of the religion. Here's the link to the video and article my mom sent me:
Legend of Female Pope Endures As Men Decide Church's Next Leader
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