Pope Boniface VI (; died 26 April 896), a native of

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, ...

, served very briefly as 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 ...

in April of 896. He was elected as a result of riots soon after the death of

Pope Formosus Pope Formosus (896) was the pope and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 891 until his death on 4 April 896. His reign as Pope was troubled, marked by interventions in power struggles over the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Kingdom of ...

on April 4. Prior to his reign, he had twice incurred a sentence of deprivation of orders as a

subdeacon Subdeacon is a minor orders, minor order of ministry for men or women in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed below the deacon and above the acolyte in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

and as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

. After a

pontificate The pontificate is the form of government used in Vatican City. The word came to English from French and simply means ''papacy'', or "to perform the functions of the Pope or other high official in the Church". Since there is only one bishop of Ro ...

of fifteen days, he is said by some to have died of

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...

, and by others to have been forcibly ejected to make way for

Stephen VI Pope Stephen VI (; died August 897) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 22 May 896 until his death in August 897. He is best known for instigating the Cadaver Synod, which ultimately led to his downfall and death. Family ...

, the candidate of the Spoletan party. The Papal historian

Caesar Baronius Cesare Baronio, C.O. (as an author also known as Caesar Baronius; 30 August 1538 – 30 June 1607) was an Italian Oratorian, cardinal and historian of the Catholic Church. His best-known works are his ''Annales Ecclesiastici'' ("Ecclesiast ...

describes him as a 'disgusting monster' guilty of adultery and homicide. At a

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

in Rome held by John IX in 898, his election was pronounced null and void. Little is written about the life of Boniface VI. It is believed by historians that his father was a man called Adrian, who was also a bishop. He then likely served as a sub-deacon or priest before his election to the papacy.

References

Boniface 06 Boniface 06 Boniface 06 Boniface 06 9th-century popes Burials at St. Peter's Basilica {{Pope-stub

See also

References