Pope Eugene I ( la, Eugenius I; died 2 June 657) was the bishop of Rome from 10 August 654 to his death. He was chosen to become Pope 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.

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, which supported it. As a result, Pope Martin I was deposed by Emperor

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 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 while he lived, but the imperial court exerted pressure on Rome through the exarch of Ravenna. 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 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 of the patriarchs of Constantinople. One of the first acts of the new pope was to send legates 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 (656–666), while the emperor's envoy, who accompanied them, brought offerings for Saint Peter 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. When its contents were read to the clergy and people in the church of

St. Mary Major The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the larges ...

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.

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. He was acclaimed a saint, his

day A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two so ...

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.

References

Bibliography

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External links