Can a Layman Become Pope?

One Italian family so controlled the papacy it got three laymen elected

Photo by Fabio Fistarol on Unsplash

Is the pope Catholic? The answer to that old saw, of course, is yes. Is the pope ordained before being elected? That answer could be no.

The Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law doesn’t specifically require ordination. “If the person elected [pope] lacks episcopal character…