The Catholic Church, especially between the IX and the XI century, was a mere tool in the hands of powerful noble families (such as the Spoletini or the Crescenzi), which exploited the temporal power of the popes and the uninterrupted flow of money that came from different sources to increase their power.

Many of the Popes of this era were elected specifically by noble families, which thus put to the throne of Peter their own members or otherwise persons to their solidarity. In this way, these clans could manage, administer, and govern as true tyrants, the city of Rome. But there was mainly one Pope who was so skillful to be pontiff for three times! Could you believe that? I'm talking about Benedict IX, born Theophylactus III of the family of the Counts of Tusculum. At the 1033 the Tusculum family managed to recover the power in Rome electing to the throne of St Peter one of their members. 11 years passed, an useful period for this clan which was able to use Rome for its aims, increasing of course its opulence. But at the 1044, due to a popular uprising led by a rival of the Counts of Tuscolo, the family of the Crescenzi, Benedict IX had to flee from the city. An escape that lasted for a very short time, because after a few months his successor, Sylvester III was driven back, by return of Benedict IX as the new Pope (the second time).

And then here is the tragic simonist act! In the 1045, in order to avoid a further uprising of the people, Benedict IX, in agreement with his family, decided to sell (you got it) his pontificate! As if today, for the money, the President of the Republic decides to sell his title to someone else! At the 1046 the Council of Sutri will try to restore order in the Church, even with the intervention of the emperor Henry III. Because of the internal divisions and a vacuum power that came to be, taking advantage also of the absence from Italy of the emperor, Benedict IX at the 1048, for a few months, was able to be elected as pope for the third time! It was later chased away, and he just knew. A story that today it seems incredible, but in the Rome of that age was the normality...