From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 240-241.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
JOHN IX.
A.D. 898-900.
JOHN the Ninth, a Roman, was next created Pope, and immediately reasserted the cause of Formosus, a great part of the people being against it, who raised such a tumult that it wanted little of a battle. He therefore removed to Ravenna, where, calling a Synod of seventy-four bishops, he damns all that Stephen had done, and restores the decrees of Formosus, declaring it irregularly done of Stephen to re-ordain those on whom Formosus had conferred holy orders. These Popes, by their constant inobservance of all apostolic practices, were the occasions (in my opinion) of these turmoils, especially joining with that the cowardice and negligence of the princes of Christendom; whose interest it was that the ship of St Peter should labour with tempests, that so the master, being unable to animadvert upon them, might throw them, like naughty mariners, overboard. Arnulphus was immersed in pleasures, and Charles, King of France, was truly worthy of his surname of Simple, or rather blockhead. So that the Hungari, a fierce and wild people, tempted by this prospect of things, with a formidable army invade first Italy, then Germany and France, without any considerable resistance, consuming all with fire and sword, and sparing no sex or age wherever they marched. The Moors, too, invaded Calabria, of a great part whereof they possessed themselves; but whilst they besieged Cosenza, their king was killed by thunder from heaven, whereupon they were dispersed and returned home. Thus God Himself punished with His own hand the enemies of the name of Christ, out of pity to His people, who were miserably forsaken by the princes of the 241 earth, which, if He had not done, the name of Italy and the holy Church had been no more, such sluggish and sorry fellows were the potentates of those times. John died after he had been Pope two years and fifteen days, leaving nothing behind him worthy notice, but that he renewed some old quarrels which had been almost forgotten.
Previous Pope: 118. Theodorus II. 119. John IX. Next Pope: 120. Benedict IV.