Pope John VI
Encyclopedia
Pope John VI was a Greek
pope
from Ephesus
who reigned during the Byzantine Papacy
from October 30, 701 to January 11, 705. His papacy was noted for military and political breakthroughs on the Italian peninsula. He succeeded to the papal chair two months after the death of Pope Sergius I
, and his election occurred after a vacancy of less than seven weeks. He was succeeded by Pope John VII
after a vacancy of less than two months. The body of the pope is buried in St. Peter's Basilica
.
Theophylactos
, who had been sent to Italy
by the emperor Justinian II
, and prevented him from using violence against the Romans. John VI's interventions prevented Theophylactos from being injured, having come to Rome to "cause trouble for the pontiff".
Aside from this, he also succeeded in inducing Gisulf
, Lombard duke of Benevento to withdraw from the territories of the empire, through tactics of persuasion and bribery. According to some sources, he "single-handedly convinced the Lombard duke Gisulf of Benevento to withdraw his forces and return home", after the duke had devastated the neighboring Campanian countryside and constructed an encampment within sight of the city walls of Rome.
Other significant events during John VI's pontificate include the Lombard king Aripert II
returning the Cottian Alps
to their former status as a papal patrimony. Numerous construction projects also occurred including new ambon
in the Basilica of St. Andrew the Apostle, a new altar cloth for San Marco
, and "suspended diaphonous white veils between the columns on either side of the altar in San Paolo. John VI also promoted easterners within the episcopal hierarchy, including Boniface, the papal counselor.
In 704, after the 70 year-old Saint Wilfrid of York was expelled (after several other expulsions) from his episcopal see, he went to Rome and pleaded his case "before the apostolic Pope John [VI]", three years into the Greek's pontificate. Wilfrid had visited Rome in 654 and 679 and witnessed its progressive transformation, such as John VI convening a synod of Greek-speaking bishops to hear Wilfrid's cause, a linguistic hurdle that much perturbed Wilfrid. The synod exonerated Wilfrid, restored him to his see, which he occupied until his death in 709, and sent him back to England
with letters for King Æthelred of Mercia for papal mandates to be implemented.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
from Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
who reigned during the Byzantine Papacy
Byzantine Papacy
The Byzantine Papacy was a period of Byzantine domination of the papacy from 537 to 752, when popes required the approval of the Byzantine Emperor for episcopal consecration, and many popes were chosen from the apocrisiarii or the inhabitants of Byzantine Greece, Byzantine Syria, or Byzantine Sicily...
from October 30, 701 to January 11, 705. His papacy was noted for military and political breakthroughs on the Italian peninsula. He succeeded to the papal chair two months after the death of Pope Sergius I
Pope Sergius I
Pope Saint Sergius I was pope from 687 to 701. Selected to end a schism between Antipope Paschal and Antipope Theodore, Sergius I ended the last disputed sede vacante of the Byzantine Papacy....
, and his election occurred after a vacancy of less than seven weeks. He was succeeded by Pope John VII
Pope John VII
Pope John VII was pope from 705 to 707. The successor of John VI, he was of Greek ancestry. He is one of the popes of the Byzantine captivity.-Biography:...
after a vacancy of less than two months. The body of the pope is buried in St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
.
Papacy
During his reign, he assisted the ExarchExarch
In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
Theophylactos
Theophylactus (exarch)
Theophylact was an Exarch of Ravenna , succeeding John II Platinus.According to T.S. Brown, the garrison of Ravenna made an attempt on his life in 701. Shortly after his promotion, Theophylact marched from Sicily to Rome, where John VI had recently been made Pope. His reasons for marching into the...
, who had been sent to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
by the emperor Justinian II
Justinian II
Justinian II , surnamed the Rhinotmetos or Rhinotmetus , was the last Byzantine Emperor of the Heraclian Dynasty, reigning from 685 to 695 and again from 705 to 711...
, and prevented him from using violence against the Romans. John VI's interventions prevented Theophylactos from being injured, having come to Rome to "cause trouble for the pontiff".
Aside from this, he also succeeded in inducing Gisulf
Gisulf I of Benevento
Gisulf I was the duke of Benevento from 680, when his brother Grimoald died. His father was Romuald I. His mother was Theodrada , daughter of Lupus of Friuli, and she exercised the regency for him for the first years of his reign....
, Lombard duke of Benevento to withdraw from the territories of the empire, through tactics of persuasion and bribery. According to some sources, he "single-handedly convinced the Lombard duke Gisulf of Benevento to withdraw his forces and return home", after the duke had devastated the neighboring Campanian countryside and constructed an encampment within sight of the city walls of Rome.
Other significant events during John VI's pontificate include the Lombard king Aripert II
Aripert II
Aripert II was the king of the Lombards from 701 to 712. Duke of Turin and son of King Raginpert, and thus a scion of the Bavarian Dynasty, he was associated with the throne as early as 700. He was removed by Liutpert, who reigned from 700 to 702, with the exception of the year 701, when...
returning the Cottian Alps
Cottian Alps
The Cottian Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France and Italy...
to their former status as a papal patrimony. Numerous construction projects also occurred including new ambon
Ambon (liturgy)
The Ambon or Ambo is a projection coming out from the soleas in an Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic church. The ambon stands directly in front of the Holy Doors...
in the Basilica of St. Andrew the Apostle, a new altar cloth for San Marco
San Marco (Rome)
San Marco is a basilica in Rome dedicated to St. Mark located in the small Piazza di San Marco adjoining Piazza Venezia. It was built in 336 by Pope Mark and rebuilt in 833 by Pope Gregory IV.-History:...
, and "suspended diaphonous white veils between the columns on either side of the altar in San Paolo. John VI also promoted easterners within the episcopal hierarchy, including Boniface, the papal counselor.
In 704, after the 70 year-old Saint Wilfrid of York was expelled (after several other expulsions) from his episcopal see, he went to Rome and pleaded his case "before the apostolic Pope John [VI]", three years into the Greek's pontificate. Wilfrid had visited Rome in 654 and 679 and witnessed its progressive transformation, such as John VI convening a synod of Greek-speaking bishops to hear Wilfrid's cause, a linguistic hurdle that much perturbed Wilfrid. The synod exonerated Wilfrid, restored him to his see, which he occupied until his death in 709, and sent him back to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with letters for King Æthelred of Mercia for papal mandates to be implemented.