ANTI-POPE GREGORY VIII

The antipope Gregory VIII was born Mauritius Burdinus, or, in French, Maurice Bourdin (later used as a play on words since bourdin means donkey). Born around 1065, Maurice lived in Limousin, Occitania, France. This was a semi-autonomous region which composes the...

POPE PASCAL II AND CONTINUED TROUBLES

Pope Paschal II was born Ranierius in Bleda, Romagna, a small town in north central Italy. His date of birth is assumed to be between 1050 and 1055. At a young age, Ranierius was sent to the abbey of Cluny, in France, to become a religious monk. As a young man, still,...