Pope Adrian III or Hadrian III ( or ''Hadrianus''; died 8 July 885) was the

bishop of Rome The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

and ruler of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

from 17 May 884 to his death on 8 July 885. He served for little more than a year, during which he worked to help the people of Italy in a very troubled time of famine and war.

Background

Adrian III was born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. According to

Jean Mabillon Dom Jean Mabillon , (; 23 November 1632 – 27 December 1707) was a French Benedictine monk and scholar of the Congregation of Saint Maur. He is considered the founder of the disciplines of palaeography and diplomatics. Early life Mabillon w ...

, his birth name was Agapitus. Reginald L. Poole believes that Mabillon confused Adrian III, who succeeded

Marinus I Pope Marinus I ( ; died 15 May 884) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 882 until his death on 15 May 884. Controversially at the time, he was already a bishop when he became pope, and had served as papal legate to Constanti ...

, with Agapetus II, who succeeded Marinus II a century later.

Pontificate

Adrian laboured hard to alleviate the misery of the people of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, prey to famine and to continuous war. He is also known to have written a letter condemning the Christians of both Muslim-ruled and Christian-ruled parts of Spain for being too friendly with the Jews in these lands. Adrian also sent

Theodosius Theodosius ( Latinized from the Greek "Θεοδόσιος", Theodosios, "given by god") is a given name. It may take the form Teodósio, Teodosie, Teodosije etc. Theodosia is a feminine version of the name. Emperors of ancient Rome and Byzantium ...

, the bishop of

Brindisi Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...

and Oria, to Constantinople to deliver a synodal letter about faith and the filioque to patriarch Photius I. Adrian died in July 885 at San Cesario sul Panaro (

Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...

), not long after embarking on a trip to

Worms The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

, in the

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

. The purpose of the journey was to attend an Imperial Diet after being summoned by Emperor

Charles the Fat Charles the Fat (839 – 13 January 888) was the emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 881 to 887. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma, and a great-grandson of Charlemagne. He was t ...

to settle the imperial succession and discuss the rising power of the

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

. Adrian's death and subsequent burial in the church of San Silvestro

Nonantola Abbey Nonantola Abbey, dedicated to Pope Silvester I, Saint Sylvester, is a former Order of St. Benedict, Benedictine monastery and ''prelature nullius'' in the commune of Nonantola, c. 10 km north-east of Modena, in the Emilia Romagna region of Ital ...

near ModenaFrançois Bougard (2002), "Hadrian III", in Philippe Levillain, ed., ''The Papacy: An Encyclopedia'', vol. 2 (New York and London: Routledge), 682. is commemorated in the sculpted reliefs () that frame the doorway of this church. His relics are found near the high altar, and his tomb at once became a popular place of pilgrimage. His cult was confirmed by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

on 2 June 1891, and his feast day is celebrated on 8 July. Orthodox Feasts dates are 8 and 30 July.

References

External links

Opera Omnia Hadriani III by Migne, ''Patrologia Latina'', with analytical indexes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adrian 03 Popes Italian popes Papal saints 885 deaths 9th-century archbishops 9th-century Christian saints Burials at Nonantola Abbey Adrian 03 Year of birth unknown 9th-century popes Canonizations by Pope Leo XIII

Background

Pontificate

See also

References

Further reading

External links