Pope Sergius II (; died 27 January 847) 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 January 844 to his death in 847. Sergius II's pontificate saw the
Arab raid against Rome as well as the city's redevelopment.
Rise
Born to a noble family, Sergius was educated in the ''schola cantorum'' and ordained
cardinal-priest
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
of the Church of Sts. Martin and Sylvester by
Pope Paschal I. Under
Pope Gregory IV, he became archpriest.
[Mann, Horace. "Pope Sergius II." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 14 September 2017
At a preliminary meeting to
designate a successor to Gregory IV, who died in January 844, Sergius was nominated by the aristocracy, while the people of Rome declared for the deacon
John. The opposition was suppressed, with Sergius intervening to save John's life. John was, however, shut up in a monastery, and Sergius was duly
consecrated
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
, without seeking ratification of the Frankish court.
[ 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 ...
, however, disapproved of this abandonment of the Constitutio Romana of 824, which included a statute that no pope should be consecrated until his election had imperial approval. He sent an army under his son Louis
Louis may refer to:
People
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
Other uses
* Louis (coin), a French coin
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
...
, the recently appointed king of Italy
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...
, to re-establish his authority. The Church and the emperor reached an accommodation, with Sergius crowning Louis as king,
Pontificate
Sergius contributed to urban redevelopment 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, ...
, improving churches, aqueducts, and the Lateran Basilica.[ He and his brother, Benedict, funded their building plans by selling appointments to various church positions to the highest bidder.
During his pontificate, the outskirts of Rome were ravaged, and the churches of St. Peter and St. Paul were sacked by Arabs, who also approached Portus and Ostia in August 846.]Aurelian Walls
The Aurelian Walls () are a line of city walls built between 271 AD and 275 AD in Rome, Italy, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Aurelian. They superseded the earlier Servian Wall built during the 4th century BC.
The walls enclosed all the ...
. Despite having been forewarned of the intentions of the raiders, Sergius is seen as having not acted adequately enough to prepare for that which eventuated.
Sergius died while negotiating between the patriarchs of Aquileia and Grado.Sergius II
/ref> He was succeeded by Leo IV.
Popular culture
Pope Sergius was portrayed by John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He rose to prominence in television before becoming an acclaimed and popular film actor. Goodman has received List of awards and nominations received by John Goodman, various acc ...
in the 2009 film '' Pope Joan''.
References
Sources
*Cheetham, Nicolas, ''Keepers of the Keys'', New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1983.
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External links
Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina with analytical indexes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sergius 02
Italian popes
Popes
847 deaths
9th-century archbishops
Year of birth unknown
9th-century popes
Burials at St. Peter's Basilica