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The Popes will now pay a very high price: the emperors will seek to influence religious decisions in one way or another through interventions in the elections as well as in the day-to-day religious and political decisions. Heresies are fought, and they also seek political support against papal condemnations, but without any success.
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Symmachus [498-514] Political interference from this election is very strong. Emperor Anastasius of Byzantium intervenes, presenting his candidate, Laurentius (antipope), and attempts to place him in power. With financial support from Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, a synod is convened to establish election procedures. Two key points emerge: the Pope cannot choose his future successor, and no human court can judge a Pope, as he can only (and will only) be judged by God. Theologically, he establishes Sundays as the day for Mass.
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Hormisdas [514-523] He commissioned Dionysius Exiguus to reform the existing calendar to have exact numbers of the Christian era. His most prominent role was ending the Acacian schism during Easter of 5191. In the formula for the oath of bishops, the phrase You are Peter is introduced as proof of the Roman ecclesiastical hierarchy.
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John I [523-526] A friar who traveled to Constantinople, being the first to do so, to negotiate the cessation of persecutions against the Arians. He was sent by Theodoric, and upon failing his mission, Theodoric accused the Pope of being weak and imprisoned him. He died as a martyr.
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Felix IV [526-530] A Pope imposed by King Theodoric. He founded the Monastery of St. Benedict, which would later produce 24 future Popes. He condemned semipelagianism2.
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Boniface II [530-532] He was chosen by the previous Pope through an edict. The parties decided to respect this. He became the first German Pope thanks to the support of Athalaric, King of the Goths.
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John II [533-535] His birth name was Mercury, but he changed it to John II, becoming the first Pope to do so, which later turned into a tradition. He assumed office on December 31, 532. During a two-month period of electing the Pope, simony (the buying and selling of spiritual goods with worldly means) was rampant. It caused such a scandal that they had to condemn simony by decree. He was pressured to close the gap between the Arians.
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Agapetus I [535-536] He was part of the nobility of the gens Anicia. Another faction chose Dioscorus (antipope), but he did not last in office. Agapetus I dedicated himself to combating heresies, focusing on Arianism and the Acoemetae3.
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Silverius [536-537] Son of Pope Hormisdas [52], he was elected with the support of Theodahad, King of the Ostrogoths, but clashed with Theodora, wife of Emperor Justinian I, who favored their candidate, Vigilius, a Monophysite. He was arrested, stripped of his papal garments, and exiled. He was also forced to abdicate. He died of starvation.
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Vigilius [537-555] He was a counselor to Agapetus I [57] and close to Theodora. Once in power, he frequently contradicted himself regarding the position on Monophysitism. He was rejected by the Curia, Theodahad, King of the Ostrogoths, and Theodora, losing credibility. Justinian issued the "Pragmatica Sanctio," granting powers to the Pope under the emperor’s command.
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Pelagius I [556-561] He served as Papal nuncio for Agapetus I [57] in Constantinople. He led a schism to condemn Nestorianism and Monophysitism, which earned him disfavor with the Byzantine court. He commissioned the building of many churches. He had to swear by the Holy Cross that he had nothing to do with the death of his predecessor.
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John III [561-574] Of noble family, he supported the construction of monasteries. Not much data exists due to the Lombard invasion, which eventually shattered Italy's unity. He condemned Priscillianism.
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Benedict I [575-579] Elected after 11 months due to communication delays caused by the Lombard invasion, which made the whole scenario quite negative. He endured famine alongside his people.
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Pelagius II [579-590] His election did not receive imperial authorization due to the Lombard siege. As his first action, he sent Gregory [64] as an envoy to try to break Rome's isolation. In an attempt to weaken the Lombards, he negotiated with the Franks, through their king Childebert II, aiming to have them abandon the Lombards, but this was unsuccessful. He resumed relations with the African Church to attempt to resolve doctrinal differences. He died from a bubonic plague.
Footnotes
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Due to the condemnation of Acacius, Patriarch of Constantinople, the Church split into a schism from 484 until it ended with Justin I. Acacius advocated for the solely divine nature of Jesus, ignoring his human nature. ↩
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A doctrine stemming from Pelagianism, which holds that the growth of faith is the work of God while the beginning of faith is an act of free will. As man embraces faith through free will, the growth of faith requires a collaboration between man and God and is not automatic. It was condemned as heresy at the Council of Orange (529). ↩
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The Acoemetae, meaning literally "the sleepless ones," were Byzantine monks who demanded that while one part of the community sings, the other rests. It was not their practices but their proximity to the Nestorians that led to their condemnation. ↩