Episodes

Monday Mar 21, 2022
111. Adrian III
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Sources on Adrian's papacy are very confused about just about everything!
In his episode, we discuss Hadrian's severe anti-corruption crackdown, a literal plague of locusts, a Diet in Worms (not -that- Diet of Worms), and whether any of it happened when we think it did.

Monday Mar 14, 2022
Crossover: The Green Knight TTRPG with the Maniculum
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Monday Mar 14, 2022
In this very special Actual Play episode, we were invited by Zoe and Mac of the Maniculum Podcast to play through the Green Knight TTRPG game, inspired by the A24 release of the Green Knight Movie
Listen as we team up with Andy and John from Saga Thing, and Mary from BookSquadGoals on an adventure to redeem our honour, and face impending death at the hands of the Green Knight!
Playing through literature-inspired games is super fun with Medievalists!!
Visit the Maniculum Podcast: https://www.themaniculumpodcast.com/

Monday Mar 07, 2022
Can Fry Keep An Eye On The Pope?
Monday Mar 07, 2022
Monday Mar 07, 2022
This week, we're playing this terrible and nonsensical click-your-own-adventure game.
https://clickhole.com/can-you-keep-an-eye-on-the-pope-for-just-5-minutes-1825124327/

Monday Feb 21, 2022
110. Marinus I
Monday Feb 21, 2022
Monday Feb 21, 2022
Although there is some confusion over Pope Marinus and his name, one thing that is perfectly clear is that his papacy set an important precedent in papal elections! In his episode, we discuss his approach to the ongoing Formosus situation, his relationship with a rexy king, and another spiritual blow in the Muslim conflict.
Please forgive our warbles, our mics were pure chaos this time around.

Monday Feb 07, 2022
109. John VIII
Monday Feb 07, 2022
Monday Feb 07, 2022
Pope Mad Hook assumes the papacy, and is faced with all the danger! In his episode, we discuss a full on pirate defense of Rome, difficult Guidos, a major shift in how the Holy Roman Emperors were chosen, and the first conflicts of Formosus - with shocking consequences!

Monday Jan 24, 2022
108. Adrian II
Monday Jan 24, 2022
Monday Jan 24, 2022
Adrian refused being elected pope twice before his actual pontificate, most likely because he was a married family man!
In his episode, we discuss a surprise invasion of Rome, the somewhat resolution of the Lotharian divorce issue, courting the conversion of Buglars and Slavs, and the MOST perplexing murder.

Monday Jan 10, 2022
107. Nicholas I
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
"Few popes hold a more dominating place in the history of the Catholic Church than Nicholas I." So much so, that many church historians and scholars argue that he should be considered Pope Nicholas the Great! But does he hold up to Pope Leo and Gregory? We're going to decide once and for all!
In his episode, we discuss Nicholas's many conflicts against the troublesome Archbishop John of Ravenna, the haughty Archbishop Hincmar of Rheims, the illegitimate Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, and most importantly, the divorce of Lothair II.
It turns out he was the punchy ol' Saint Nicholas all along!
Audio note: Bry's working with a new microphone, there might be a warble or two. It's learning.
Huge thanks to Ben of Fukushima Laser Shark for our jingle!

Monday Dec 27, 2021
Bonus: Power and State in Carolingian-Papal Relations with Dr. Rutger Kramer
Monday Dec 27, 2021
Monday Dec 27, 2021
During our exploration of the Frankish Papacy, Dr. Rutger Kramer has been our academic hero, providing access to sources, and inspiring thought-provoking discussions that resulted in much more informative episodes. So it only seemed right that we invite him on to the show, to provide his expertise!
In this episode, Bry and Rutger discuss the concepts of power, state, and church for both the Carolingians and the Papacy, the complicated dynamics of the Carolingian-Papal relationship, and critically evaluating our contemporary sources!
Find Rutger:
https://twitter.com/AnotherAspirin

Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Crossover: Battle Royale on French Saints for Christmas!
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
For this special Christmas crossover, we joined up with Battle Royale to talk about important French Saints, in all their grisly glory!
Check out Battle Royale:
https://battleroyale.buzzsprout.com/1804279?s=09
https://twitter.com/BattleRoyalePod
Show description:
The most wonderful time of the year was made even more wonderful by our first ever guests, Bry and Fry of the Pontifacts podcast, who rate all of the popes from Peter to Francis. Complemented as ever by the splendid humour of Fry and Eliza, Bry and Ben recount the tales of the five patron saints of France who have been woven into our story so far: Saint Petronilla, Saint Denis, Saint Martin, Saint Remy and Saint Radegund.
This is definitely not your average Christmas episode! We've got a guy carrying his own severed head, an emperor's butt being set on fire and a dove descending from the sky with a Molotov cocktail, just to name a few incidents. We also find out that not only could women read in the Dark Ages (shocker!), but one of them could even speak to frogs! How very French of her.

Monday Dec 13, 2021
106. Benedict III
Monday Dec 13, 2021
Monday Dec 13, 2021
Pope Benedict was the actual pope to follow Leo IV, not Pope Joan! In his episode, we discuss a dramatic and confusing antipapacy, why his Liber Pontificalis entry is often missing, complicated consequences of the Iconoclasm, and... astral dew.

Pontifacts is a independent papal history podcast, ranking all of the popes from Peter to Francis. In each episode, hosts Bry and Fry explore the life of a single pope and contextualize their papacy in world history, and religious development.
The hosts then rate the popes based on a series of amusing subjective categories to determine the value of their contributions and the entertainment of their scandal.
The most impactful popes are awarded a "papal bull", which will grant them further review in an eventual final, which will determine which is the "popiest pope who ever poped!"