Give me the scoop on Constantine. Constantine, born in Syria around 664, succeeded his brother (Sisinnius) as pope on March 25, 708, and reigned for just over seven years. Rome suffered through a great famine for the first half of Constantine’s time as pope, but apparently enjoyed the exact opposite for the second half. Feast …
Give me the scoop on Sisinnius. Little is known of Pope Sisinnius other than being the son of a man named John and having been born in Syria. He was consecrated on January 15, 708, but was already very elderly and suffering from a nasty case of gout at the time of his election. The …
Give me the scoop on John VII. Greek by birth, John was born around the year 650 to parents Blatta and Plato. John’s father was high up in the Byzantine government, so John, therefore, was the first pope to be the son of an imperial official. Reportedly a huge fan of the Fourth Commandment, John …
Give me the scoop on Sergius I. Pope St. Sergius I was of Syrian descent, but grew up in Sicily. He came to Rome in the 670s, like his predecessor, Pope Conon, to avoid the Islamic battles there during that time. His election was full of drama as well. In Conon’s dying days, a deacon, …
Give me the scoop on John VI. Born at Ephesus around the year 655, John VI was elected almost two months after the death of St. Sergius I. Due to the declining Byzantine Empire, territories in and around Rome were attacked by Gisulf, a duke of the Lombard Kingdom. John VI, being a savvy and …
Give me the scoop on Conon. Pope Conon was the son of a Thracian soldier and had been educated in Sicily. Though not a barbarian, he apparently still was very good looking. His appearance, along with his character and advanced age, caused him to be a solid compromise candidate when rival camps couldn’t decide on a …
Give me the scoop on John V. John V was born in Syria – Antioch, to be specific – and prior to being pope served as one of Pope St. Agatho’s papal legates at the Third Council of Constantinople in 680. Thanks to the agreement wrought by his predecessor, John V was consecrated the same …
Give me the scoop on Benedict II. Benedict II, a Roman by birth, was educated from a young age and served the Church for most of his life. His defining qualities as a young man included a vast knowledge of Scripture and a great singing voice, and his contemporaries loved him as both priest and …
Give me the scoop on Leo II. Leo was actually his first name, though he dropped the surname “Maneius” once elected. He was born in Sicily around the year 611 and his dad’s name was Paulus. Other than that, not much about Leo II’s pre-pope life is known. Leo’s contemporaries spoke highly of him, mentioning …
Give me the scoop on Agatho. A Sicilian by birth, Agatho was a Benedictine monk prior to being pope. He was gifted in business, and as a result served as the Church’s treasurer for a time. Having been born sometime before the year 600, Agatho was advanced in years (some even say he was over …