Pope Sisinnius

Sisinnius
Papacy began 15 January 708
Papacy ended 4 February 708
Predecessor John VII
Successor Constantine
Personal details
Birth name ???
Born 650
Syria, Rashidun Caliphate
Died 4 February 708(708-02-04)
Rome, Byzantine Empire

Pope Sisinnius (c. 650 – 4 February 708) was Pope for about three weeks in 708.

A Syrian by birth, Sisinnius' father's name was John.[1] The paucity of donations to the papacy during his reign (42 pounds of gold and 310 pounds of silver, a fraction of the personal donations of other contemporary pontiffs) indicate that he was probably not from the aristocracy.[2]

Sisinnius was selected as pope during the Byzantine Papacy. He succeeded Pope John VII after a sede vacante of three months.[3] He was consecrated around 15 January 708.[1]

Sisinnius remained pope for just twenty days.[3] According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "although he was so afflicted with gout that he was unable even to feed himself, he is nevertheless said to have been a man of strong character, and to have been able to take thought for the good of the city".[1] Among his few acts as pope was the consecration of a bishop for Corsica.[1] He also ordered "that lime be burned in order to restore portions" of the walls of Rome.[4] The restoration of the walls planned by Sisinnius was carried out by Pope Gregory II.[5] The book True Christianity: The Catholic Way credits him with defending the Church against the Lombards and Saracens.[6]

Sisinnius was buried in Old St. Peter's Basilica.[1] He was succeeded less than two months later by Pope Constantine.[3] Constantine, also Syrian by birth, was probably the brother of Sisinnius.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Wikisource-logo.svg "Pope Sisinnius" in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ Jeffrey Richards. 1979. The popes and the papacy in the early Middle Ages, 476–752. p. 245.
  3. ^ a b c Ekonomou, 2007, p. 246.
  4. ^ Ekonomou, 2007, p. 248.
  5. ^ Charles Isidore Hemans. 1874. Historic and monumental Rome. p. 100.
  6. ^ Pasquini, John J.. True Christianity: The Catholic Way. iUniverse. pp. 418. 
  7. ^ *Williams, George L. 2004. Papal Genealogy: The Families and Descendants of the Popes. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-2071-5. p. 10.

References

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
John VII
Pope
708
Succeeded by
Constantine