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Quiz: How much do you know about popes?

Test your knowledge.

POPE FRANCIS PRAISED two important things this week: Food and sex.

He took aim at the “overzealous morality” within the Church that denies pleasure, and said it is “a wrong interpretation of the Christian message”.

“Pleasure arrives directly from God, it is neither Catholic, nor Christian, nor anything else, it is simply divine,” Francis told Italian writer and gourmet Carlo Petrini.

“The Church has condemned inhuman, brutish, vulgar pleasure, but has on the other hand always accepted human, simple, moral pleasure,” he added.

That forward-thinking attitude of the current Pope made us think about popes of the past. Without further ado…

How many Catholic popes have there been?
Shutterstock
1
266

1517
Upwards of 5,000
Who was the first pope?
Shutterstock
St Peter
St Paul

St Luke
Jesus himself
Who elects the pope?
PA Images
The electoral college
Laypeople

The College of Cardinals
L'Agenzia Elettorale del Papa (The Papal Electoral Agency)
Where does the pope live?
PA Images
The Apostolic Palace
St Peter's Winter Castle

The Papal Oratory
Cavan
What did Pope Urban II give the green light to in the 1090s?
Mussklprozz via Wikimedia
Metro North
Allowing priests to marry

Translating the Bible into French
The First Crusade
What did Ian Paisley shout at Pope John Paul II in 1988?
Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie
You are no true son of Ulster and no true son of any Christian state.
I denounce you as the Antichrist.

You are the worst pope!
Take a look in the mirror before preaching to us.
Pope Francis's visit to Ireland in 2018 wasn't his first time here - why was he here before then?
Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie
He accompanied JP2 in 1979.
He went fly-fishing on Lough Ree in 1980.

He studied English here in 1981.
He was part of a commission carrying out a review of parish boundaries in 1982.
What did Pope Francis end in May 2019?
PA Images
Pontifical secrecy, meaning all priests must report abuse and comply with investigations by civil authorities.
The practice of the Vatican paying for private drivers for all top-ranking officials.

A ban on tourists visiting the iconic La Piazza del Piccolo Papa
A ban on releasing church documents - all documentation must now be made publicly accessible after 80 years
What happened to Pope Formosus?
Wikipedia
He resigned and became a Protestant.
He resigned and became a Muslim.

He resigned and became a Hindu.
His remains were exhumed and put on trial.
Is the pope a Catholic?
No
Yes, they all are

Well, the Catholic pope is a Catholic at least
Answer all the questions to see your result!
Shutterstock
You scored out of !
You are God himself.
You're well up to speed on these lads.
Share your result:
PA Image
You scored out of !
You are Pope Francis
You're well up to speed on your predecessors, but sure you can't know everything. It's not like you're infallible or anything.
Share your result:
Shutterstock
You scored out of !
You are a Protestant
You like to keen an eye on the competition and have picked up a few bits of knowledge along the way.
Share your result:
Shutterstock
You scored out of !
You are a lapsed Catholic
If only you had been to Mass last week! They covered all of this.
Share your result:

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54 Comments
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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    Jan 10th 2018, 10:58 PM

    Surely the heritage department should be obligated to look into this, whatever it turns out to be does it not warrant further investigation, any archeological find is part of our past and may give us a deeper insight into our history, I find it hard to comprehend how they can dismiss this!…

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:16 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: it’s an obvious leg pull.

    180
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    Mute Ken Hayden
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:32 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: If you put out enough bait , you’ll always catch one .

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    Mute Stephen Brady
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    Jan 11th 2018, 8:13 AM

    @Fiona deFreyne: most likely but they should go out and have a look. It’s only Meath, not the dark side of the moon.

    39
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    Mute Tony Murphy
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    Jan 11th 2018, 8:32 AM

    @Kate Flaherty: exactly. Like wtf else have they got to be doing?? Not like there’s a new find every week

    36
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    Mute Etherman
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    Jan 11th 2018, 8:36 AM

    @Kate Flaherty: great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather, is that you?

    2
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jan 11th 2018, 9:34 AM

    @Ken Hayden: The experienced archealogist says ‘he has never seen anything like it’ – so it must be from an alien source or perhaps political.
    It might even be an ancient grave then so.

    11
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jan 11th 2018, 9:39 AM

    @Fiona deFreyne: Are you sure…..

    4
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jan 11th 2018, 9:43 AM

    @Stephen Brady: Its only Meath…..Loughcrew, Newgrange, Trim Castle, Boyne Battle site, seige of Drogheda are all fake then..??

    9
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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    Jan 11th 2018, 10:16 AM

    @Chris Kirk: exactly what I was thinking, that part of the country is steeped in history but I think Stephen was trying to point out it’s only County Meath they have to travel to not the other side of the world!..,

    14
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    Mute Grotmaster
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    Jan 11th 2018, 10:26 AM

    @Kate Flaherty: It’s clearly an angel. I mean, who’s ever heard of a neanderthal?

    7
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jan 11th 2018, 1:52 PM

    @Grotmaster: Stone the crows, I wondered where that angel went…

    4
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    Mute Irish Patriot
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    Jan 10th 2018, 10:50 PM

    Some sort of ancient jelly baby..

    321
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    Mute Stefan Epure
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:17 PM

    @Irish Patriot: I hope its not bound to some ancient jelly curse.

    53
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    Mute Irish Patriot
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:20 PM

    @Stefan Epure: Don’t get all wobbly on me now.

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    Mute Kieran Stafford
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:22 PM

    @Irish Patriot: i doubt it, the head is not bitten off

    35
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    Mute Neil Jackman
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    Jan 10th 2018, 10:59 PM

    Inspired by the Angel of Springfield.

    And at risk of being labelled a big drysh*te, digging massive big holes in close proximity to archaeological sites is really not good.

    There must be easier ways of getting likes and attention.

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    Mute Itsme
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:02 PM

    @Neil Jackman:
    publicity stunt id imagine

    59
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    Mute dowthebow
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    Jan 11th 2018, 3:20 AM

    @Neil Jackman: remember the angel in the Simpsons??

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    Mute David Dickson
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    Jan 11th 2018, 3:51 AM

    @Ian Parker: you’re comnent is spot ob.

    7
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    Mute David Dickson
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    Jan 11th 2018, 3:52 AM

    @David Dickson: your

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    Mute Dwayne Jordan
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    Jan 10th 2018, 10:59 PM

    Building a stop on a fairy trail and all the workers were wearing trainers no work clothes and only one spade with no handle between them. Thick or what!

    97
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    Mute Itsme
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    Jan 10th 2018, 10:54 PM

    a stone death mask of Gonzo

    74
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    Mute Diogenes
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:31 PM

    @Itsme: Need a stone death mask of someone – why not Zoidberg!

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    Mute TheBluffmaster2
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:33 PM

    @Itsme: looks more like a bishop.

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    Mute Dae Monicus
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:48 PM

    @Diogenes: Or Gonzo!

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    Mute Dae Monicus
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:50 PM

    @Dae Monicus: Oophs it’s been done sorry itsme.

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    Mute Diogenes
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    Jan 11th 2018, 5:51 AM

    @Dae Monicus: Why no Zoidberg!

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    Mute itzme
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    Jan 11th 2018, 12:14 AM

    I’m outraged. Someone from sinn fein should be arrested and held responsible for this.

    55
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    Mute Sensword Byhax
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    Jan 11th 2018, 12:30 AM

    @itzme: it might be one of the many bodies they’ve disappeared over the years. Somebody ask Gerry does he recognise it.

    55
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    Mute itzme
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    Jan 11th 2018, 12:48 AM

    @Sensword Byhax: didn’t know sinn fein disappeared any one, would you care to share your information. ?

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    Mute Sensword Byhax
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    Jan 11th 2018, 1:03 AM

    @itzme: Well ppl IN SF did, with a probability so close to one as makes no odds. Of course, they were also in other things as well. Every time I see one or two of them especially glad-handling as politicians always think of that story about James Joyce, who was at a Harvard symposium when an American student raced up to him going ”OH MY GAWD JAMES JOYCE!!!! LEMME SHAKE THE HAND THAT WROTE ULYSSES!!” To which Joyce replied ”Well, if you must, but remember it’s done a lot of other things too….”

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    Mute itzme
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    Jan 11th 2018, 1:14 AM

    @Sensword Byhax: would you use the same probability when betting on a horse with your own money?

    8
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    Mute Sensword Byhax
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    Jan 11th 2018, 1:26 AM

    @itzme: if I was a betting man it’d be money in the bank. Sadly I dropped a fiver on Greasepaint at Aintree in 1983 and the hoor’s still runnin most likely. Cured me of that in an instant. Being from Cavan.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 11th 2018, 8:14 AM

    @itzme: SF/IRA. Most people are smart enough to know they are two branches of the same organisation. You’re not that smart, apparently.

    21
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    Mute Humphrey De Fluff
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:00 PM

    If its in the Meath Chronicle it must be serious.

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    Mute Itsme
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    Jan 10th 2018, 10:48 PM

    fake

    44
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Jan 10th 2018, 10:57 PM

    Laughing. Good try and it’s not even 1st April yet.

    20
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    Mute Morgan Ferriter Art
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    Jan 11th 2018, 10:52 AM

    I heard today from a source in Meath that it was legitimate. A similar, but much smaller find was made at the Hill of Ward in Meath a few years ago and there was the same response from the dept of Heritage, they denied the find. I was told the reason why, but Id be afraid to post it here.. I think it had to do with funding, and whether it was to be made available. etc.

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    Mute filthypete
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    Jan 11th 2018, 12:47 PM

    @Morgan Ferriter Art: why in the christ would you be afraid????

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    Mute Blind Faith
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    Jan 11th 2018, 1:29 PM

    @Morgan Ferriter Art: Its an ancient Egyptian statue of there god thoth by the looks of its beaked head.

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jan 11th 2018, 2:05 PM

    @Morgan Ferriter Art: Don’t get me started please…..archalogists often forget that people sometimes put things in the ground to bury them, not to dig them up again and what often turns out to be heritage is no more than somebody’s buried rubbish.

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    Mute Steve Davis
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    Jan 13th 2018, 12:41 AM

    @Morgan Ferriter Art: As the person overseeing the excavation at the Hill of Ward I can assure you that no similar find was made. What was found was the skeleton of an infant in a formal burial from c. 400 AD. The National Monuments Service were informed (as were the coroner and gardai as is the law) and did come to visit the site.

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    Mute Brendan Rogers
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    Jan 11th 2018, 7:50 AM

    This could be a case for Scully and Mulder!

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    Mute Ken Mitchell
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    Jan 11th 2018, 8:01 AM

    @Brendan Rogers: inspired to dig out my old “catatonia” cd now!

    14
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    Mute Brendan Rogers
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    Jan 11th 2018, 12:43 PM

    @Ken Mitchell: Ah CDs, those were the days

    4
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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    Jan 11th 2018, 8:40 AM

    Obviously one of the Beaker people.

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    Mute Dae Monicus
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:21 PM

    Child of the face on Mars.

    12
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    Mute Terri Roche
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    Jan 11th 2018, 5:52 AM

    Typical Ireland…no investigation…nothing like this has ever been found before. Superstitions at play here… its situated in the middle of a fairy ring.

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    Mute Cathal Mac Einri
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    Jan 11th 2018, 3:50 AM

    It could be a statue that was in the process of being carved and was rejected for some reason.

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Jan 11th 2018, 8:48 AM

    @Cathal Mac Einri:
    Because its nose was too big?

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Jan 11th 2018, 10:29 AM

    @Walt Jabsco:
    Or wasn’t big enough?

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    Mute Jangles
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    Jan 11th 2018, 10:04 PM

    @Cathal Mac Einri: Too big for the milk float

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Jan 10th 2018, 11:19 PM

    The return of the Dummy.

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    Mute Paul Connors
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    Jan 11th 2018, 10:17 AM

    no mention of the gold that i found , phew , thought i was busted there for a second

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    Mute Morgan Ferriter Art
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    Jan 11th 2018, 7:32 PM

    Ok.. I could be wrong, and this could be a dummy.. good acting by the 3 lads if this is the case.! Rip big-nose. :-)

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    Mute Paul Connors
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    Jan 11th 2018, 10:14 AM

    and not a word about the gold

    1
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    Mute Go on go on
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    Jan 11th 2018, 7:37 PM

    Monuments don’t check anything out unless it’s far enough away for overnight expenses. This could a boost for our tourism, possibilities are endless as most people will believe anything connected with new or even old fairies. Fairies and leprechauns should be grant aided to help them proliferate and boost our tourism. This specimen from our past looks like an ancient traffic bollard.

    1
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