Pope Gregory VI Bought the Papacy from Pope Benedict IX
De Montor, Lives of the Popes, volume 1 page 277: Gregory VI, originally called John Gratian, was son of Peter Leo, an illustrious Roman, and was archpriest of Saint John at the Latin Gate. He was not even a cardinal, as Crescimbenie proves, for that Church had notyet the cardinalte; and it is affirmed that he bought the pontificate from Benedict IX.
Baron Henrion, in his history of the papacy, says of this pontiff: “This prudent liberator of the Church, placed in possession of the Holy See by the cession of Benedict IX in May, 1044, reigned under the name of Gregory VI. …”
Catholic Encyclopedia: Date of birth unknown; elected 1 May 1045; abdicated at Sutri, 20 December, 1046; died probably at Cologne, in the beginning of 1048. In 1045 the youthful libertine Benedict IX occupied the chair of Peter. Anxious, in order so it is said, that he might marry, to vacate a position into which, though wholly unfit, he had been thrust by his family, he consulted his godfather, John Gratian, the Archpriest of St. John "ad portam Latinam", a man of great reputation for uprightness of character, as to whether he could resign the supreme pontificate. When he was convinced that he might do so, he offered to give up the papacy into the hands of his godfather for a large sum of money. Desirous of ridding the See of Rome on such an unworthy pontiff, John Gratian in all good faith and simplicity paid him the money and was recognized as pope in his stead. Unfortunately the accession of Gratian, who took the name of Gregory VI, though it was hailed with joy even by such a strict upholder of the right as St. Peter Damian, did not bring peace to the Church.
Resigned in favor of Pope Clement II
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