Pope

Sisinnius
Bishop of Rome
ChurchCatholic Church
Papacy began15 January 708
Papacy ended4 February 708
PredecessorJohn VII
SuccessorConstantine
Personal details
Born650
Tyre, Rashidun Caliphate
Died4 February 708(708-02-04) (aged 57–58)
Rome, Byzantine Empire

Pope Sisinnius (c. 650 – 4 February 708) was the bishop of Rome from 15 January 708 to his death.[1]

Sisinnius was born in Tyre (modern-day Lebanon),[2][3][4] and his 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.[5]

Sisinnius was selected as pope during the period of Byzantine domination, succeeding John VII after a vacancy of three months.[6] He was consecrated around 15 January 708.[1] His pontificate lasted just twenty days.[6] 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.[7] The restoration of the walls planned by Sisinnius was eventually carried out by Gregory II.[8]

Sisinnius was buried in Old St. Peter's Basilica.[1] He was succeeded less than two months later by Constantine,[6] who some historians believe was his brother.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Pope Sisinnius" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  2. ^ Joseph S. Brusher, Popes through the Ages, (Neff-Kane, 1980), 174.
  3. ^ Latham, Robert Gordon (1863). The Nationalities of Europe. W. H. Allen & Company.
  4. ^ Milman, Henry Hart (1872). Históry of Latin Christianity Including that of the Popes to the Pontificate of Médas V, 2. Murray.
  5. ^ Jeffrey Richards. 1979. The popes and the papacy in the early Middle Ages, 476–752. p. 245.
  6. ^ a b c Ekonomou, 2007, p. 246.
  7. ^ Ekonomou, 2007, p. 248.
  8. ^ Charles Isidore Hemans. 1874. Historic and monumental Rome. p. 100.
  9. ^ 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 byJohn VII Pope 708 Succeeded byConstantine
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