Pope Benedict III (; died 17 April 858) 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 29 September 855 to his death on 17 April 858.

Early career

Little is known of Benedict's life before his papacy. His father was named Peter. Benedict was educated, and lived 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, ...

and was appointed by

Pope Leo IV Pope Leo IV (died 17 July 855) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 847 to his death in 855. He is remembered for repairing Roman churches that had been damaged during the Arab raid against Rome, and for building the ...

as cardinal-priest of the church of San Callisto.J. N. D. Kelly, "Benedict III" in ''The Oxford Dictionary of Popes,'' (2006). Benedict had a reputation for learning and

piety Piety is a virtue which may include religious devotion or spirituality. A common element in most conceptions of piety is a duty of respect. In a religious context, piety may be expressed through pious activities or devotions, which may vary amon ...

Pontificate

Benedict III was elected upon the refusal of Adrian, the initial choice of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and people. Arsenius, bishop of Orte, intercepted the legates sent to advise the emperor of the election and persuaded them to betray Benedict and convince the emperor name the bishop's nephew Anastasius instead. Anastasius had previously been excommunicated by Leo IV. The legates returned with the imperial envoys and had Benedict's election disavowed and Anastasius installed. Anastasius took his place at the Lateran and Benedict was imprisoned. However, local popular opinion was so strong that the Franks recognized Benedict's consecration. Benedict treated Anastasius and his adherents leniently.Brusher S.J., Joseph S., "Benedict III", ''Popes Through the Ages'', Neff-Kane; 3rd edition (1980, The schism helped to weaken the hold of the emperors upon the popes, especially upon their elections. Benedict intervened in the conflict between Lothair II of Lotharingia,

Louis II of Italy Louis II (825 – 12 August 875), sometimes called the Younger, was the king of Italy and emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 844, co-ruling with his father Lothair I until 855, after which he ruled alone. Louis's usual title was '' imper ...

, and Charles of Provence on the death of their father, Emperor

Lothair I Lothair I (9th. C. Frankish: ''Ludher'' and Medieval Latin: ''Lodharius''; Dutch and Medieval Latin: ''Lotharius''; German: ''Lothar''; French: ''Lothaire''; Italian: ''Lotario''; 795 – 29 September 855) was a 9th-century emperor of the ...

. He wrote to the Frankish bishops, rebuking them for remaining silent in the face of the disorder affecting the Carolingian realms. Æthelwulf of Wessex and his son, the future king

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great ( ; – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who both died when Alfr ...

, visited Rome in Benedict's reign. The Schola Anglorum, which was destroyed by fire in 847, was restored by Benedict. A medieval tradition claimed that Pope Joan, a woman disguised as a man, was Benedict's immediate predecessor. The legendary Joan is generally believed to be fictitious.

References

Sources

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

, 9th edition (1880s) *Baix, F. (1935). "Benoît III pape", in: ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques'', VIII (Paris 1935), pp 14–27. *Cheetham, Nicolas, ''Keepers of the Keys'', New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1983. * * * *

External links

*Bertolini, Ottorino (1966)
"Benedetto III, papa"
''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'' Volume 8 (1966) *Benedictus III

published by J. P. Migne, ''Patrologia Latina'', with analytical indexes {{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict 03 Popes 9th-century cardinals 858 deaths Burials at St. Peter's Basilica Year of birth unknown 9th-century popes Italian popes