Pope Eugene I ( la, Eugenius I; died 2 June 657) was the
bishop of Rome
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
from 10 August 654 to his death. He was chosen to become
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
after the deposition and banishment of
Martin I Martin I may refer to:
* Pope Martin I (c. 590/600–655), bishop of Rome 649–655
* Martin I (bishop of Oviedo) (died 1101)
* Martin I (archbishop of Gniezno) (died after 1112)
* Martin I of Aragon (1356–1410)
* Martin I of Sicily (1374/6–14 ...
by Emperor
Constans II
Constans II ( grc-gre, Κώνστας, Kōnstas; 7 November 630 – 15 July 668), nicknamed "the Bearded" ( la, Pogonatus; grc-gre, ὁ Πωγωνᾶτος, ho Pōgōnãtos), was the Eastern Roman emperor from 641 to 668. Constans was the last ...
over the dispute about
Monothelitism
Monothelitism, or monotheletism (from el, μονοθελητισμός, monothelētismós, doctrine of one will), is a theological doctrine in Christianity, that holds Christ as having only one will. The doctrine is thus contrary to dyotheliti ...
.
Unusual election
Eugene was a Roman from the Aventine, son of Rufinianus. He was brought up in the Church's ministry, and was already an elderly priest when a dispute flared up between the
papacy
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
in Rome, which opposed the
monothelite teachings, and the imperial government in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, which supported it. As a result,
Pope Martin I
Pope Martin I ( la, Martinus I, el, Πάπας Μαρτίνος; between 590 and 600 – 16 September 655), also known as Martin the Confessor, was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 649 to his death 16 September 655. He served as Pope Theodore I's ...
was deposed by Emperor
Constans II
Constans II ( grc-gre, Κώνστας, Kōnstas; 7 November 630 – 15 July 668), nicknamed "the Bearded" ( la, Pogonatus; grc-gre, ὁ Πωγωνᾶτος, ho Pōgōnãtos), was the Eastern Roman emperor from 641 to 668. Constans was the last ...
and carried off from Rome on 18 June 653, eventually ending up banished to
Cherson. Little is known about what happened in Rome after Martin's departure, but it was typical in those days for the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
to be governed by the
archpriest
The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogous ...
and
archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...
. Martin hoped that a successor would not be
elected Elected may refer to:
* "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973
* ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008
*The Elected, an American indie rock band
See also
*Election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...
while he lived, but the imperial court
exerted pressure on Rome through the
exarch of Ravenna
The Exarchate of Ravenna ( la, Exarchatus Ravennatis; el, Εξαρχάτο της Ραβέννας) or of Italy was a lordship of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) in Italy, from 584 to 751, when the last exarch was put to death by the ...
. On 10 August 654, Eugene was appointed the new pope. Martin, though disappointed, seems to have acceded. The imperial government believed that Eugene would be cooperative and ratified his election.
Pontificate
As pope, Eugene consecrated twenty-one bishops for different parts of the world and received the youthful
Wilfrid
Wilfrid ( – 709 or 710) was an English bishop and saint. Born a Northumbrian noble, he entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Francia, and at Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and ...
on the occasion of his first visit to Rome (c. 654).
Eugene I showed greater deference than his predecessor to the emperor's wishes and made no public stand against the
Monothelitism
Monothelitism, or monotheletism (from el, μονοθελητισμός, monothelētismós, doctrine of one will), is a theological doctrine in Christianity, that holds Christ as having only one will. The doctrine is thus contrary to dyotheliti ...
of the
patriarchs of Constantinople
This is a list of the Patriarchs of Constantinople.
Bishops of Byzantium (until 330)
*1. St. Andrew the Apostle (38), founder
*2. St. Stachys the Apostle (38–54)
*3. St. Onesimus (54–68)
*4. Polycarpus I (69–89)
*5. Plutarch (89–10 ...
. One of the first acts of the new pope was to send
legates
A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the office ...
to Constantinople with letters to Emperor Constans II informing him of his election and professing his faith. The legates were deceived, or bribed, and brought back a synodical letter from
Patriarch Peter of Constantinople
Peter (? – October 666) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 654 to 666. He was condemned as a heretic in the Third Council of Constantinople. He was succeeded as ecumenical patriarch by Thomas II of Constantinople.
Peter succ ...
(656–666), while the emperor's envoy, who accompanied them, brought offerings for
Saint Peter
Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
and a request from the emperor that the pope would enter into communion with the patriarch of Constantinople. Peter's letter proved to be written in a difficult and obscure style and avoided making any specific declaration as to the number of "wills or operations" in
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
. When its contents were read to the clergy and people in the church of
St. Mary Major in 656, they not only rejected the letter with indignation, but would not allow the pope to leave the basilica until he had promised that he would not on any account accept it.
The imperial officials were furious at this harsh rejection of the wishes of the emperor and patriarch. Constans threatened to dispose of Eugene just as he had disposed of Martin, but was preoccupied by defending the empire from the
Muslim conquests
The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests ( ar, الْفُتُوحَاتُ الإسْلَامِيَّة, ), also referred to as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the main Islamic prophet. He estab ...
.
Death and legacy
Eugene I died on 2 June 657, before Constans II could act against him. He was buried in
Old St. Peter's Basilica
Old St. Peter's Basilica was the building that stood, from the 4th to 16th centuries, where the new St. Peter's Basilica stands today in Vatican City. Construction of the basilica, built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero, began dur ...
. He was acclaimed a saint, his
day being 2 June. He is commemorated as the patron and namesake of the
Cathedral of Saint Eugene
Cathedral of Saint Eugene is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It is the mother church and seat of the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa in California. It is located in the City of Santa Rosa. The parish ...
in the
Diocese of Santa Rosa in California
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California ( la, Diœcesis Sanctae Rosae in California) is a diocese, or ecclesiastical territory, of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States, named in honor of S ...
.
See also
*
List of popes
This chronological list of popes corresponds to that given in the ''Annuario Pontificio'' under the heading "I Sommi Pontefici Romani" (The Roman Supreme Pontiffs), excluding those that are explicitly indicated as antipopes. Published every ye ...
*
List of Catholic saints
This is an incomplete list of people and angels whom the Catholic Church has canonized as saints. According to Catholic theology, all saints enjoy the beatific vision. Many of the saints listed here are to be found in the General Roman Calend ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
Saints.SQPN: Pope Eugene ICatholic Online: Pope Eugene I
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eugene 01
657 deaths
Popes
Italian popes
Popes of the Byzantine Papacy
7th-century archbishops
Italian Roman Catholic saints
Papal saints
7th-century Christian saints
Burials at St. Peter's Basilica
Year of birth unknown
7th-century popes