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Pope Sergius I
Pope Sergius I
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Pope Sergius I (c. 650 – 8 September 701) was the bishop of Rome from 15 December 687 to his death on 8 September 701, and is revered as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. He was elected at a time when two rivals, Paschal and Theodore, were locked in a dispute about which of them should become pope. His papacy was dominated by his response to the Quinisext Council, the canons of which he steadfastly refused to accept. Thereupon Emperor Justinian II ordered Sergius' arrest, but the Roman people and the Italian militia of the exarch of Ravenna refused to allow the exarch to bring Sergius to Constantinople.

Key Information

Early life

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Sergius I came from an Antiochene Syrian family which had settled at Panormus in Sicily. Sergius left Sicily and arrived in Rome during the pontificate of Adeodatus II. He may have been among the many Sicilian clergy in Rome due to the Caliphate's attacks on Sicily in the mid-7th century.[1] Pope Leo II ordained him cardinal-priest of Santa Susanna on 27 June 683, and he rose through the ranks of the clergy. He remained cardinal-priest of Santa Susanna until he was selected to become pope.[2][3][4]

Election

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Pope Conon died on 21 September 687 after a long illness and a reign of less than a year. His archdeacon, Paschal, had already attempted to secure the papacy by bribing the exarch of Ravenna, John II Platyn. A more numerous faction wanted the archpriest Theodore to become pope. The two factions entered into armed combat, each in possession of part of the Lateran Palace, which was the papal residence. To break the deadlock, a group of civic authorities, army officers, clergy, and other citizens met in the Palatine imperial palace, elected Sergius, and then stormed the Lateran, forcing the two rival candidates to accept Sergius.[3][5]

Though pretending to accept Sergius, Paschal sent messengers to Platyn, promising a large sum of gold in exchange for military support.[5] The exarch arrived, recognised that Sergius had been regularly elected, but demanded the gold anyway. After Sergius's consecration on 15 December 687, Platyn departed. Paschal continued his intrigues and was eventually confined to a monastery[3][5] on charges of witchcraft.[5] Sergius's consecration ended the last disputed sede vacante of the Byzantine Papacy.[6]

Papacy

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On 10 April 689, Sergius baptised King Cædwalla of Wessex in Rome. He also ordained Willibrord as bishop of the Frisians. After Berhtwald was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury by Archbishop Godwin of Lyon, he travelled to Rome and received the pallium from Pope Sergius.[7] Sergius was active in ending the Schism of the Three Chapters with Old Aquileia in 698.[3] He founded the diaconia of Santa Maria in Via Lata on Via del Corso, encompassing a city quarter that developed in the 8th century. He also "restored and embellished" the Eastern church of Santi Cosma e Damiano.[8]

Sergius I did not attend the Quinisext Council of 692, which was attended by 226 or 227 bishops, overwhelmingly from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The participation of Basil of Gortyna in Crete, belonging to the Patriarchate of Rome, has been seen in the East as representing Rome and even as signifying Roman approval, but he was in fact not a papal legate.[9] Sergius rejected the canons of the council as invalid[10] and declared that he would "rather die than consent to erroneous novelties".[11] Though a loyal subject of the Empire, he would not be "its captive in matters of religion".[11] Writers such as Andrew J. Ekonomou have speculated on which canons, in particular, Sergius found objectionable. Ekonomou excludes the anathemising of Pope Honorius I, the declaration of Constantinople as equal in privileges but second in honour to Rome.[11] All popes since Leo the Great had adamantly rejected the 28th canon of the Council of Chalcedon, which on the basis of political considerations tried to raise the ecclesiastical status of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to equality with that of old Rome.[12] Ekonomou mentions rather the approval by the Quinisext Council of all 85 Apostolic Canons, of which Sergius would have supported only the first 50.[11]

Many of the regulations that the Quinisext Council enacted were aimed at making uniform the existing church practices regarding ritual observance and clerical discipline. Being held under Byzantine auspices, with an exclusively Eastern clergy, the council regarded the customs of the Church of Constantinople as the orthodox practice.[13] Practices in the Church in the West that had got the attention of the Eastern patriarchates were condemned, such as: the practice of celebrating Mass on weekdays in Lent (rather than having pre-sanctified liturgies); of fasting on Saturdays throughout the year; of omitting the "Alleluia" in Lent; of depicting Christ as a lamb. In a step that was symbolically important in view of the council's prohibition of depicting Christ as a Lamb, Sergius introduced into the liturgy the chant "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us" at the breaking of the Host during Mass, and restored the damaged facade mosaic in the atrium of Saint Peter's that depicted the Worship of the Lamb.[4] The Agnus Dei would have been chanted in both Greek and Latin during this period, in the same manner as the other liturgical changes of Sergius.[14] Larger disputes were revealed regarding Eastern and Western attitudes toward celibacy for priests and deacons, with the Council affirming the right of married men to become priests and prescribing excommunication for anyone who attempted to separate a clergyman from his wife, or for any cleric who abandoned his wife.

Enraged, Emperor Justinian II dispatched his magistrianus, also named Sergius, to arrest Bishop John of Portus, the chief papal legate to the Third Council of Constantinople, and Boniface, the papal counsellor.[4] The two high-ranking officials were brought to Constantinople as a warning to the pope.[4] Eventually, Justinian ordered Sergius's arrest and abduction to Constantinople by his notoriously violent bodyguard protospatharios Zacharias.[4] However, the militia of the exarch of Ravenna and the Duchy of Pentapolis frustrated the attempt.[3][15] Zacharias nearly lost his own life in an attempt to arrest Sergius.[3][16] Rather than seizing upon the anti-Byzantine sentiment, Sergius did his best to quell the uprising.[15]

Pope Sergius rejected the Apostolic Canons approved by the Eastern Church's Council in Trullo in 692, which made 3 Maccabees part of the Biblical canon.[17] This remains a difference between the Catholic and Orthodox canon to today.

Death

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Sergius died on 8 September 701. He was succeeded by John VI.[18]

Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Pope Sergius I (c. 650 – 8 September 701) was the bishop of Rome from 15 December 687 until his death, during a period of intensifying tensions between the Western Church and the . Born in , , to a family of Syrian origin from Antioch, he was ordained a priest under and elected amid factional strife following the death of . His pontificate is defined by resistance to imperial interference in doctrine and discipline, including rejection of Emperor Justinian II's typum that modified the by omitting the clause and, more prominently, steadfast refusal to endorse the 102 canons of the (692), which he deemed "lacking authority" and replete with "novel errors" contrary to Roman tradition. This defiance prompted Justinian to order Sergius's arrest and deportation to , but exarch John Platyn's forces were repelled by armed Romans, preserving papal autonomy. Sergius also advanced liturgical practices by introducing the "" acclamation during the fraction rite of the Mass, reportedly in symbolic affirmation of Christ as the amid Eastern prohibitions on such imagery. He consecrated key basilicas, including additions to St. Peter's, and maintained ties with Anglo-Saxon missions, anointing kings like Caedwalla of .

Early Life

Origins and Family Background

Sergius I was born around 650 in (ancient Panormus), , to parents of Syrian origin whose family had emigrated from Antioch. His father, , traced his roots to that eastern Syrian city, and the relocation to likely stemmed from mercantile pursuits common among Antiochene traders in the Mediterranean during the 7th century. This background placed Sergius within a diaspora community of eastern Christians in the Byzantine-controlled island, where Greek and Syriac influences persisted amid Lombard pressures on the Italian mainland. Little is documented about his immediate family beyond his paternal lineage, though the emphasis on Syrian heritage in contemporary accounts underscores the papacy's increasing reliance on eastern immigrants fleeing Arab conquests in the Levant. Sergius received his early education in Sicily, fostering a foundation in ecclesiastical studies that later propelled his rise in Rome. This formative period in a culturally hybrid environment—blending Roman, Byzantine, and oriental elements—shaped his orthopraxic approach to liturgy and governance, distinct from purely Latin traditions.

Clerical Formation

Sergius, son of and born circa 650 in , , to a family of Syrian origin from Antioch, received his initial in Sicily amid the region's cultural and ecclesiastical influences under Byzantine rule. He relocated to in the 670s during the pontificate of (672–676), likely as part of the migration of Sicilian clergy fleeing intermittent Arab incursions in the island. In , Sergius pursued clerical training at the Schola Cantorum, the city's choir school, where he developed proficiency in liturgical music that would later inform his pontifical contributions. Ordained by (682–683), he advanced through the minor orders, serving initially as a and subsequently as at the Church of St. Susanna on the . This progression positioned him within Rome's ecclesiastical hierarchy, emphasizing scriptural study, liturgical practice, and administrative duties typical of the era's Roman clergy.

Election to the Papacy

Context of the Papal Vacancy

Pope Conon died on September 21, 687, after a pontificate of less than a year marked by efforts to reconcile internal Church factions in . His death created a papal vacancy amid ongoing Byzantine oversight of Roman affairs, with the of , John II Platyn, exercising significant influence over the election process as the emperor's representative. As Conon lay dying, Paschal sought to secure the papacy by bribing Platyn with a substantial sum, gaining initial support from imperial authorities and elements of the . Following Conon's death, rival factions emerged: the nominated Theodore, while the and populace acclaimed Sergius, a Syrian-born serving at the Church of Santa Susanna, reflecting divisions between clerical hierarchies, popular sentiment, and external Byzantine pressures. This led to a rare triple , with each candidate claiming legitimacy in a contested process that highlighted the fragility of papal selection under imperial power. Exarch Platyn intervened by summoning the three candidates and demanding they defer to imperial decision, but popular acclamation for Sergius—possibly bolstered by Conon's reported preference for him—shifted the 's stance after he assessed the local support. Paschal refused to yield and was imprisoned by Platyn, dying in custody around 692, while Theodore conceded. Sergius's consecration on , 687, thus resolved the vacancy after approximately three months of uncertainty, underscoring the interplay of , factionalism, and pragmatic accommodation in 7th-century Roman .

Election and Immediate Challenges

Following the death of Pope Conon on September 21, 687, after a brief pontificate marked by reconciliation efforts with the Byzantine Empire, a fiercely contested election for his successor unfolded in Rome. Archdeacon Paschal, seeking to secure the papacy, bribed the Byzantine exarch of Ravenna, John II Platyn, with promises of gold—reportedly up to 100 pounds—to gain imperial endorsement and override rivals. Competing against Paschal were two priests: Theodore, backed by a faction favoring strict adherence to Roman traditions, and Sergius, a Syrian-born cleric serving as priest at the titular church of Santa Susanna, whom the dying Conon had reportedly endorsed as a compromise figure of piety and administrative competence. Tensions escalated into factional violence between supporters of Paschal and Theodore, highlighting the instability of papal elections under Byzantine oversight, where exarchal approval was nominally required despite growing Roman autonomy. The Roman clergy, nobility, militia, and populace ultimately coalesced around Sergius as a unifying choice, electing him amid the chaos and consecrating him on December 15, 687, bypassing the rivals' claims. Theodore promptly acknowledged Sergius's legitimacy to avert further strife, but Paschal persisted in subversion, urging Exarch Platyn to depose the new pope and install him instead. Platyn, recognizing Sergius's broad support, shifted allegiance but demanded the bribe gold originally pledged by Paschal; Sergius reluctantly complied to obtain formal confirmation and avert imperial reprisal, underscoring the financial burdens and coercive dynamics imposed by Byzantine exarchs on papal inaugurations. These early obstacles tested Sergius's nascent authority, as Paschal's intrigues continued until his , while the exarch's aborted attempt—thwarted by overwhelming public backing for Sergius—exposed the limits of distant Byzantine control amid local Roman sentiment favoring from eastern impositions. The episode reinforced patterns of electoral irregularity, where canonical procedures yielded to pragmatic consensus and monetary incentives, yet Sergius's consolidation of power laid groundwork for his 13-year reign.

Pontificate

Resistance to the Quinisext Council

The , convened in in 692 by Byzantine Emperor , gathered approximately 215 Eastern bishops to promulgate 102 disciplinary canons supplementing the Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils, which had lacked such regulations. These canons addressed clerical continence, liturgical customs, , and iconographic practices, often aligning with Eastern traditions but conflicting with longstanding Roman disciplinary norms. Pope Sergius I, who ascended the papal throne in 687, neither attended the nor recognized its authority, steadfastly refusing to subscribe to its decrees upon their transmission to . He deemed the canons "lacking authority" and fraught with "erroneous novelties" that contravened apostolic and Roman traditions, declaring he would "rather die than consent" to them. While specific objected canons remain unidentified in surviving records, the rejection centered on provisions permitting married subdeacons and presbyters, endorsing certain Eastern rites objectionable in the West, and other impositions seen as innovations rather than universal discipline. In response, Justinian II dispatched the protospatharios Zacharias and spatharios Theodore with soldiers in 693 to arrest Sergius and compel his signature, viewing papal assent as essential for imperial enforcement of the canons across the empire. The Roman populace and ducal militia, however, rose in opposition, assaulting the envoys and their escort, which thwarted the abduction and forced their retreat without achieving the emperor's objective. This incident underscored growing Western autonomy from Byzantine ecclesiastical oversight amid political estrangement, though Sergius maintained diplomatic ties with Constantinople on other matters. The council's canons, never formally accepted in Rome, persisted as binding in Eastern Orthodoxy but highlighted irreconcilable divergences in Latin and Greek Church governance.

Relations with the Byzantine Empire and Lombards

Sergius I's relations with the Byzantine Empire were characterized by conflict with Emperor Justinian II, who sought to impose imperial authority over papal decisions. In response to the pope's refusal to endorse select canons of the Quinisext Council—particularly those conflicting with Western traditions, such as restrictions on married clergy—Justinian dispatched the chartulary Zacharias to Rome circa 693 to arrest Sergius and enforce subscription. Roman citizens, clergy, and the ducal militia mobilized in opposition, compelling Zacharias to retreat without seizing the pope, thereby preserving Sergius's position and highlighting the limits of Byzantine control in Italy. Fiscal pressures further strained ties, as Justinian levied burdensome taxes on the Roman see and its dependent churches during this period, prompting Sergius to resist these impositions as encroachments on ecclesiastical independence. These demands reflected broader Byzantine efforts to extract resources from amid military commitments elsewhere, though Sergius's defiance contributed to a assertion of without formal rupture. Relations with the , under King Cunincpert (r. 688–700), proved more amicable and pragmatic, centered on mutual ecclesiastical interests. Sergius cooperated with Cunincpert to convene the Synod of Pavia circa 700, which resolved the lingering in the Aquileian church by reconciling schismatic bishops to Roman orthodoxy and ending the Istrian controversy over the . In recognition, Sergius imparted a to Cunincpert, symbolizing strengthened diplomatic bonds that helped alleviate Lombard incursions into papal territories. This alliance facilitated regional stability, as Lombard support for papal initiatives in northern Italy countered Byzantine overreach while advancing Church unity, though it remained contingent on Cunincpert's personal goodwill rather than enduring treaty.

Ecclesiastical Reforms and Missionary Efforts

Pope Sergius I actively supported missionary activities directed toward northern Europe, particularly among the and . In 695, he consecrated the Anglo-Saxon monk as for the , who had begun accepting following earlier efforts, thereby authorizing him to establish a permanent ecclesiastical presence at and advance evangelization in and adjacent territories. This act provided crucial papal endorsement for Willibrord's mission, which included founding the monastery at and countering pagan relapses under Frisian rulers. Sergius also engaged directly with Anglo-Saxon royalty and clergy to bolster church organization. On Easter Sunday, 689, he baptized Caedwalla, king of , who had abdicated his throne, received the name Peter, and died shortly thereafter, underscoring Rome's role in integrating Germanic converts into the faith. Around 691, he issued orders restoring Bishop Wilfrid to his sees at , , and after prolonged synodal disputes in , thereby enforcing papal oversight to resolve internal divisions and stabilize the hierarchy. These interventions reflect Sergius's approach to ecclesiastical reform through centralized authority, prioritizing doctrinal unity and missionary infrastructure over local autonomies. He extended privileges, such as the pallium, to Archbishop Berhtwald of Canterbury, further consolidating Roman influence in Britain. Such measures addressed disciplinary challenges arising from regional power struggles, ensuring alignment with Roman practices amid expanding frontiers.

Liturgical Innovations and Church Restorations

Pope Sergius I introduced the chanting of the ("") into the Roman Mass during the fraction rite, extending its recitation from the choir to the congregation as a response to the breaking of the host. This innovation, drawn from Eastern liturgical traditions, marked a significant adaptation in the , emphasizing communal participation in the Eucharistic prayer. Sergius also incorporated the first four Marian feasts from the into the Roman liturgical calendar: the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 8, the on March 25, the Dormition (later Assumption) on August 15, and the Purification () on February 2. These additions enriched the observance of key events in Mary's life, fostering greater devotion to her role in salvation history amid ongoing East-West ecclesiastical tensions. He further established processions for the Purification feast, involving and carrying candles through Rome's parishes to symbolize Christ's light. In terms of church restorations, Sergius undertook repairs and embellishments of several Roman basilicas damaged by neglect, invasions, and time, including the patriarchal basilicas of and Saint Paul Outside the Walls, as well as Santa Susanna, where he had served as titular priest. These efforts, conducted amid Lombard threats and limited resources, preserved sacred spaces central to Roman Christian identity and worship. He also renovated the Church of Sant'Aurea in Ostia around 700, addressing its dilapidated state to maintain liturgical continuity in suburban diocesan sites.

Death and Succession

Final Years and Demise

Pope Sergius I's final years saw no major recorded upheavals, with the indicating continuity in administrative duties such as ordinations—14 priests, 4 deacons, and numerous bishops across Italian sees—amid persistent Lombard incursions and residual Byzantine influence. Primary accounts provide scant detail on personal health or specific late-pontificate initiatives, suggesting a period of relative ecclesiastical stability following earlier conflicts over the . Sergius died in on 8 September 701, after a reign of 13 years, 8 months, and 24 days commencing 15 December 687. Contemporary sources like the omit any mention of violence, illness, or external circumstances surrounding his demise, consistent with a natural death for a figure of his era and approximate age of 51. His passing marked the end of a tenure focused on doctrinal resistance and liturgical enhancement, paving the way for the election of John VI.

Burial and Immediate Aftermath

Pope Sergius I died on 8 September 701 after a pontificate of nearly fourteen years. He was interred in in , consistent with the burial practices for popes of the era who were laid to rest near the tomb of . The transition following his proceeded without recorded factional strife or external interference, unlike the contested elections that had marked earlier papal vacancies in the late seventh century. Sergius was succeeded by John VI, a Roman deacon elected by the clergy and people shortly thereafter; John VI's pontificate began in late 701 and focused on ongoing Lombard threats and Byzantine relations. No significant ecclesiastical disruptions or imperial interventions are documented in the immediate period, reflecting relative stability in Roman ecclesiastical governance at the time.

Legacy

Historical Assessments and Controversies

Pope Sergius I's pontificate is historically assessed as a critical juncture in the consolidation of papal autonomy from Byzantine imperial oversight, particularly through his defiance of the Quinisext Council (also known as the Council in Trullo) convened in 692. Scholars view this resistance as an early manifestation of Rome's insistence on approving Eastern synodal decrees, rejecting the council's 102 canons as "lacking authority" and introducing "novel matters" that deviated from apostolic tradition, including provisions on clerical marriage and liturgical depictions that clashed with Western practices. His position, articulated in correspondence where he professed readiness "to die rather than consent to erroneous novelties," preserved Roman disciplinary norms amid caesaropapist pressures from Constantinople. The ensuing controversy peaked when Emperor dispatched the exarch of with orders to arrest and transport Sergius to for coercion, mirroring prior imperial actions against popes like Martin I. However, the plot collapsed as the Roman populace and the exarch's own mutinied, refusing to seize the and thereby thwarting enforcement. This event, corroborated in contemporary accounts, symbolized the of Byzantine control over and bolstered the papacy's , as the failure to apprehend Sergius without bloodshed reinforced perceptions of divine favor and popular loyalty to the Roman see. Assessments of Sergius's reign emphasize its relative stability and constructive contributions, unmarred by personal scandals or doctrinal lapses that plagued other seventh-century figures. His compromise election in December 687, amid rival claims by archpriest Paschal and deacon Theodore following Pope Conon's death, averted through clerical consensus, highlighting pragmatic leadership. While Eastern sources critiqued Rome's non-conciliar stance as obstructive, Western historiography credits Sergius with fortifying ecclesiastical independence, influencing subsequent papal-Byzantine relations and the trajectory toward the East-West .

Veneration as a Saint

Pope Sergius I (died 8 September 701) is venerated as a in the Roman Catholic Church, with his feast day commemorated on 8 , coinciding with the date of his death. This recognition stems from traditional acclaim rather than a formal process, as was common for early popes whose sanctity was affirmed by their defense of and ecclesiastical leadership. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, he is likewise honored as "Our father among the saints Sergius I of Rome," reflecting his role in resisting Byzantine imperial encroachments on papal autonomy during the controversies. Devotion to Sergius emphasizes his liturgical contributions, particularly the introduction of the chant into the Roman Mass, which enhanced eucharistic reverence and contributed to his enduring veneration among the faithful. No major shrines or widespread relic cults are prominently associated with him today, though his tomb in served as a site of historical until its relocation during the basilica's 16th–17th-century reconstruction. His sainthood underscores the early Church's pattern of elevating popes who prioritized doctrinal over political expediency.

References

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