good link. It includes this (and now I know there is an Oxford Dictionary of Popes!)
The Oxford Dictionary of Popes acknowledges that this legend was widely believed for centuries, even among Catholic circles, but declares that there is "no contemporary evidence for a female Pope at any of the dates suggested for her reign," and goes on to say that "the known facts of the respective periods make it impossible to fit [a female Pope] in".
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The Oxford Dictionary of Popes acknowledges that this legend was widely believed for centuries, even among Catholic circles, but declares that there is "no contemporary evidence for a female Pope at any of the dates suggested for her reign," and goes on to say that "the known facts of the respective periods make it impossible to fit [a female Pope] in".
I seem to remember Dan Brown saying his "The Da Vinci Code" story was true too. I suppose some people say anything to make a buck.
Wikipedia has a detailed account of the myth. It's worth a read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Joan