Pope John I
Encyclopedia
Pope Saint John I was Pope
from 523 to 526. He was a native of Siena
or the Castello di Serena, near Chiusdino
. He is the first pope known to have visited Constantinople
while in office.
While a deacon in Rome, he is known to have been a partisan of the Antipope Laurentius
, for in a libellus written to Pope Symmachus
in 506, John confessed his error in opposing Symmachus, anathematized Peter of Altinum and Laurentius, and begged pardon of Symmachus. He would then be the deacon John who signed the acta of the roman synod of 499 and 502; the fact the Roman church only had seven deacons at the time makes identifying him with this person very likely. He may also be the deacon John Boethius dedicated three of his five religious tractates written between 512 and 520.
John was very frail when he was elected to the papacy. Despite his protests, he was sent by the Arian
King Theodoric the Great
of the Ostrogoths to Constantinople
to secure a moderation of Emperor Justin
's decree of 523 against the Arians. Theodoric threatened that if John should fail in his mission, there would be reprisals against the orthodox Catholics in the West. John proceeded to Constantinople with a considerable entourage: his religious companions included bishop Ecclesius of Ravenna, bishop Eusebius of Fanum Fortunae, and Sabinus of Campania
. His secular companions were the senators
Flavius Theodorus
, Inportunus
, Agapitus
, and the patrician Agapitus.
Emperor Justin is recorded as receiving John honorably, and promised to do everything the embassy asked of him, with the exception of restoring converts from Arianism to Catholicism to their original beliefs. Although Pope John was successful in his mission, when he John returned to Ravenna, Theodoric's capital, Theodoric had John arrested on the suspicion of having conspired with Emperor Justin. He was imprisoned at Ravenna, where he died of neglect and ill treatment. His body was transported to Rome and buried in the Basilica of St. Peter.
The Liber Pontificalis credits John with making repairs to the cemetery of the martyrs Nereus and Achilleus on the Via Ardeatina
, that of Saints Felix and Adauctus
, and the cemetery of Priscilla
.
Pope John I is depicted in art as looking through the bars of a prison or imprisoned with a deacon
and a subdeacon
. He is venerated at Ravenna and in Tuscany
. His feast day is May 18, the anniversary of the day of his death (whereas it had formerly been May 27).
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
from 523 to 526. He was a native of Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
or the Castello di Serena, near Chiusdino
Chiusdino
Chiusdino is a comune in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 70 km south of Florence and about 30 km southwest of Siena...
. He is the first pope known to have visited Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
while in office.
While a deacon in Rome, he is known to have been a partisan of the Antipope Laurentius
Antipope Laurentius
Laurentius was an antipope of the Roman Catholic Church, from 498 to 506.-Biography:Archpriest of Santa Prassede, Laurentius was elected pope on 22 November 498, in opposition to Symmachus, by a dissenting faction...
, for in a libellus written to Pope Symmachus
Pope Symmachus
Saint Symmachus was pope from 498 to 514. His tenure was marked by a serious schism over who was legitimately elected pope by the citizens of Rome....
in 506, John confessed his error in opposing Symmachus, anathematized Peter of Altinum and Laurentius, and begged pardon of Symmachus. He would then be the deacon John who signed the acta of the roman synod of 499 and 502; the fact the Roman church only had seven deacons at the time makes identifying him with this person very likely. He may also be the deacon John Boethius dedicated three of his five religious tractates written between 512 and 520.
John was very frail when he was elected to the papacy. Despite his protests, he was sent by the Arian
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
King Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great was king of the Ostrogoths , ruler of Italy , regent of the Visigoths , and a viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire...
of the Ostrogoths to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to secure a moderation of Emperor Justin
Justin I
Justin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...
's decree of 523 against the Arians. Theodoric threatened that if John should fail in his mission, there would be reprisals against the orthodox Catholics in the West. John proceeded to Constantinople with a considerable entourage: his religious companions included bishop Ecclesius of Ravenna, bishop Eusebius of Fanum Fortunae, and Sabinus of Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
. His secular companions were the senators
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
Flavius Theodorus
Theodorus (consul 505)
Theodorus was a Roman politician during the reign of Theodoric the Great. He held the consulship with Flavius Sabinianus as his colleague in 505....
, Inportunus
Inportunus
Inportunus was a Roman politician during the reign of Theodoric the Great. He held the consulship without colleague in 509....
, Agapitus
Agapitus (consul 517)
Flavius Agapitus was a Roman politician during the reign of Theodoric the Great. He held the consulship with Flavius Anastasius Paulus Probus Sabinianus Pompeius Anastasius as his colleague in 505....
, and the patrician Agapitus.
Emperor Justin is recorded as receiving John honorably, and promised to do everything the embassy asked of him, with the exception of restoring converts from Arianism to Catholicism to their original beliefs. Although Pope John was successful in his mission, when he John returned to Ravenna, Theodoric's capital, Theodoric had John arrested on the suspicion of having conspired with Emperor Justin. He was imprisoned at Ravenna, where he died of neglect and ill treatment. His body was transported to Rome and buried in the Basilica of St. Peter.
The Liber Pontificalis credits John with making repairs to the cemetery of the martyrs Nereus and Achilleus on the Via Ardeatina
Via Ardeatina
Via Ardeatina was an ancient road of Rome leading to the town of Ardea, after which it is named. Ardea lay 24 miles distant from Rome.-External links:*...
, that of Saints Felix and Adauctus
Felix and Adauctus
Saints Felix and Adauctus were Christian martyrs who are believed to have lived during the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian.The Acts, first published in Ado's Martyrology, relate as follows: Felix, a Roman priest, and brother of another priest, also named Felix, being ordered to offer sacrifice...
, and the cemetery of Priscilla
Priscilla
Priscilla is an English female given name adopted from the Roman Priscilla, derived from the Latin priscus . One suggestion is that it is intended to bestow long life on the bearer....
.
Pope John I is depicted in art as looking through the bars of a prison or imprisoned with a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
and a subdeacon
Subdeacon
-Subdeacons in the Orthodox Church:A subdeacon or hypodeacon is the highest of the minor orders of clergy in the Orthodox Church. This order is higher than the reader and lower than the deacon.-Canonical Discipline:...
. He is venerated at Ravenna and in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
. His feast day is May 18, the anniversary of the day of his death (whereas it had formerly been May 27).