Η Πάπισσα Ιωάννα

by Emmanouel D. Rhoides

"Η Πάπισσα Ιωάννα" by Emmanouel D. Rhoides is a novel published in 1866. The work tells the story of Joanna, a woman who disguised herself as a man and rose through the ranks of the Roman Catholic Church to become Pope. Based on the medieval legend of Pope Joan, who allegedly reigned from 855 to 858, the novel caused immediate controversy. The Greek Orthodox Church condemned it as "anti-Christian and malicious," sparking public debate and censorship attempts that continued into the twentieth century.