30. Yet Another Pope Who Died While Enjoying the Pleasures of the Flesh
Pope John VII (circa 650 – 707) was elected Holy Father on March 1st, 705, and retained the office until his death on October 18th, 707. That day, he was reportedly beaten to death by an angry husband, who burst in on the Holy Father while he was carnally knowing his wife. An ethnic Greek, John VII was born within the borders of the Byzantine Empire. However, he got along better with the Lombards, who ruled most of Italy back then, than he did with the then-reigning Byzantine Emperor Justinian II.
Although his reign was brief, John VII was an energetic pope, who devoted significant time and resources to building and restoring churches. Had he reigned longer, he might have gone down as one of history’s great popes. Unfortunately, he seems to have had trouble keeping it in his robes, and his pontificate – and life – were cut short when an angry husband bludgeoned him to death after catching him doing the deed with his wife.