Stories of Popes Throughout History Who Were Not Celibate in 30 Photos

From Saint Peter to Pope John Paul II, history shows that not every pontiff lived in perfect celibacy. These 30 photos reveal the stories of popes whose personal lives, marriages, and scandals broke with expectations.

Since the earliest days of the Church, the private lives of popes have not always aligned with the image of strict celibacy.

This collection of photos highlights the human side of the papacy — moments of love, loss, and controversy that show how even the world's most powerful religious leaders were not immune to personal struggles and relationships.

1. Saint Peter

Saint Peter, widely acknowledged as the very first bishop of Rome, is believed to have been married — a fact many modern Catholics may find surprising.

In 1 Corinthians 9:5, Paul notes that several apostles, including Cephas — another name for the saint — traveled with their wives. And it doesn't end there.

The Gospel of Mark even recounts that Jesus healed Saint Peter's mother-in-law, leaving no doubt that this pillar of the Church once had a domestic life.

Early Christian writer Saint Clement of Alexandria, who lived between 150 and 215 AD, took it further, writing that Saint Peter witnessed his wife's death in the arena, yet called out for her to remain "steadfast in her faith."

Medieval whispers later claimed Saint Peter fathered a daughter named Petronilla — though it remains unclear whether she was a blood relative or simply a spiritual follower.

2. Pope Hormisdas

Long before donning the papal robes, Pope Hormisdas was a married man and father, turning to holy orders only after the death of his wife.

Serving as pontiff from 514 to 523 AD, the pope dedicated his reign not to family, but to fierce theological battles, fighting to restore unity within a divided Church.

He also stood firm against Byzantine interference, resisting the emperor's attempts to dominate Church doctrine.

But his personal legacy would live on through tragedy. His son, Pope Silverius, took the papal throne in 536 AD, but was betrayed by the priest Vigilius, exiled to a remote island, and died of starvation in 538 AD. The priest Vigilius then seized the papacy himself, leaving behind a legacy soaked in betrayal.

3. Pope John XVII

In 1003 AD, Pope John XVII, a widower-turned-priest, assumed the highest office in the Catholic Church — but only for seven turbulent months.

His short reign was marked by political unrest, as Roman nobles threw their support behind a rival. Yet. the pontiff left behind a powerful clerical legacy — all three of his sons became priests, marking a rare dynastic ripple in Vatican history.

4. Pope Adrian II

Pope Adrian II, elected in 867 AD, stands as one of the few popes who remained married during his papacy.

Though elderly at the time of his election, he moved into the Lateran Palace with his wife, Stephania, and their two daughters — a domestic life that seemed worlds away from Vatican norms.

But peace was fleeting as political tensions with the Frankish kings and Byzantine Emperor Basil spiraled into disaster. After losing ground, the pope was confined, and his enemies struck at his heart — murdering his wife and daughters, casting an unimaginable shadow over his reign.

5. Pope Alexander VI

When people speak of scandal in the Vatican, Pope Alexander VI — the infamous Borgia pope — is often the first name to surface.

Ruling from 1492 to 1503 AD, he fathered multiple children by different mistresses, flaunting his personal life in ways that enraged his contemporaries.

One of his sons was Cesare Borgia, whom the pope boldly appointed as cardinal, fueling whispers of corruption and decadence.

Yet, for all the scandal, the pontiff was a masterful politician. He played the kings of France and Naples against each other with cunning precision. While modern historians debate his morals, few deny his power.

6. Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II, who led the Church from 1978 to 2005, was hailed as one of the 20th century's most influential figures.

But hidden in the National Library of Poland lay a secret archive — hundreds of letters and photographs detailing a deeply personal connection with Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, a Polish-American philosopher.

Their bond began in 1973 when Tymieniecka approached the pope about his philosophical work. She traveled from the U.S. to Poland, and the two began a correspondence that deepened dramatically over time.

Photographs revealed them walking together, skiing, even camping. Later images show Tymieniecka visiting him inside the Vatican — sometimes alone.

While there is no evidence that the pontiff broke his vow of celibacy, Cambridge historian Eamon Duffy stated, "Here is one of the handful of transcendentally great figures in public life in the 20th century, the head of the Catholic Church, in an intense relationship with an attractive woman.”

7. Bonus – Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI, who reigned from 1963 to 1978, faced a whirlwind of accusations and heartbreak that shaped his troubled legacy. In 1976, rumors exploded that he was secretly homosexual.

Though completely unfounded, the pope felt compelled to issue a rare personal denial — a move that only fueled public curiosity.

Tragedy then followed him. In May 1978, his dear friend Aldo Moro, an Italian statesman, was kidnapped and murdered. The event devastated the pontiff, who died just months later at Castel Gandolfo.

His reign was remembered for attempting to balance tradition with progress after Vatican II — but his conservative decision in Humanae Vitae, which reaffirmed the ban on birth control, ignited widespread dissent and remains one of the Church's most divisive moments.

8. Bonus – Pope Leo XIV

Born in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo XIV's life has been marked not by scandal, but by an unwavering focus on family life.

He entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine in Saint Louis on September 1, 1978, at the age of 23, and made his first profession the following day. His solemn vows followed in 1981, and by 1982 he was ordained a priest.

Although he moved to Peru in 1985, the pope maintained close ties to the United States, often returning to serve in his home city as a priest and prior.

As pontiff, Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the centrality of family life. Though never married, during the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly in St. Peter's Square, he proclaimed that marriage is "not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman" and that families remain "the cradle of the future of humanity."

From apostles who buried their wives with their own hands, to popes who fathered children, to quiet yet intimate friendships that defied expectation — these men shaped the faith of billions. But their human stories remain complex, imperfect, and utterly fascinating.