List of sexually active popes

Allegations of sexual activities are of varying levels of reliability, with several having been made by contemporary political or religious opponents.

Some claims are generally accepted by modern historians, while other remain more contested.

Celibacy was not required for those ordained and was accepted in the early Church, particularly by those in the monastic life.

Although various local Church councils had demanded celibacy of the clergy in a particular episcopal jurisdiction,[6] it was not until the Second Lateran Council (1139) that official made the promise to remain celibate a prerequisite to ordination within the Latin Church (and effectively ended any practice of a married priesthood).

A majority of the allegations made in this section are disputed by modern historians.