# Good Pope, Bad Pope
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pope-bad-pope/297543
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 3, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pope-bad-pope/297543 "2005-04-03T18:18:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pope-bad-pope/297543/1 "2005-04-03T18:18:16Z")
Can you stand one more popish thread?
I’m not catholic, although I have a nodding acquaintance with the church, and have no idea how many Popes there have been. I do know that some were better than others.
So who is your nominee for best and worst of the litter and why? Pope Egregious IV or Pope Sanctimonious VII? Alexander VI? Boniface VIII? I’m curious as to what would constitute a ‘good’ pope. At the very least, it would have to be someone who, despite the access to power and money, was ethical in his administration of same (such as JP2).
---
### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pope-bad-pope/297543/2 "2005-04-03T18:20:50Z")
[Great minds think alike.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=309846)
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pope-bad-pope/297543/3 "2005-04-03T18:28:26Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> [Great minds think alike.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=309846)
No doubt they do, but despite the identical thread titles, this one actually asks a different question.
There _is_ however a “How Do You Rate John Paul?” thread somewhere that does duplicate my Great Debate thread.
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pope-bad-pope/297543/4 "2005-04-03T19:39:47Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> [Great minds think alike.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=309846)
I missed that one, but this thread is about popes in general, not JP2.
---
### Author:  [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pope-bad-pope/297543/5 "2005-04-04T00:20:14Z")
There was one pope that only lasted a short time ( a couple of weeks or months?)
He was rumored to have been poisoned.
I assume he was a good pope. The good die young.
---
### Author:  [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-pope-bad-pope/297543/6 "2005-04-04T00:48:05Z")
[John Paul I](http://www.answers.com/topic/john-paul-i)