The Pope Fiction of "Pope Joan"

On Thursday, December 29th, CBS aired a program entitled "Uncovering the Story of Pope Joan." In the show, host Diane Sawyer presented the legend of Pope Joan (a mythical female imposter pope) in such a way that many, if not most, of the millions of viewers who saw the presentation could easily have been left with the impression that Joan may well have been a real person.

If you want the facts about the legend of Pope Joan, or if you know someone who may have been confused by the misinformation commonly associated with the "Pope Joan" myth, you may be interested in the easily accessible article, "Debunking the Persistent Myth of Pope Joan," by Catholic apologist, Patrick Madrid, or his treatment of this and other related questions in his book, Pope Fiction: Answers to Thirty Myths and Misconceptions About the Papacy (see also "Pope Fiction" 16-part EWTN television series, available on VHS video).