Pope Benedict I (Latin:Benedictus I; died 30 July 579) was thebishop of Rome from 2 June 575 to his death on 30 July 579.[1]
Benedict was the son of a man named Boniface, and was called Bonosus by theGreeks. The ravages of theLombards rendered it very difficult to communicate with the emperor atConstantinople, whoclaimed the privilege of confirming theelection of popes. Hence there was a vacancy of nearly eleven months between the death ofPope John III and the arrival of the imperial confirmation of Benedict's election on 2 June 575.[1]
Benedict granted an estate, the Massa Veneris, in the territory of Minturnae, to Abbot Stephen of St. Mark's "near the walls ofSpoleto" (St. Gregory I, Ep. ix, 87, I. al. 30). Famine followed the devastating Lombards, and from the few words theLiber Pontificalis has about Benedict, we gather that he died in the midst of his efforts to cope with these difficulties. He was buried in the vestibule of the sacristy of the oldBasilica of St. Peter. In a ceremony held in December, he ordained fifteen priests and threedeacons and consecrated twenty-one bishops.[1]
Few of the records of transactions outsideRome that could help understand Benedict's pontificate survive, and because of the disruptions caused by the Lombards in Italy, perhaps few ever existed.[1]
He ruled the church during a period made calamitous by the invasion of theLombards and by famine, plague, and the flooding of the Tiber River. While working to solve the resulting problems, he died during a siege of Rome by theLombards.[2]
Very little is known about the actions that Pope Benedict I took during his time as pope. He issued the estate called “Massa Veneris” to an Abbot Stephen with St. Mark's. This was a small territory that was in the eastern part of Italy. Benedict I spent most of his time as pope dealing with the Lombards and their threats. This Germanic group continued moving through Italy during his reign and constantly fought the Church for more land. Their battles caused a famine that lasted for years and left Roman Catholics in despair. In December of 578, the pope issued formal orders and held a ceremony to appoint 21 new bishops. The same ceremony saw the appointment of three deacons and 15 priests. That was the only bright spot during his reign. He would spend the rest of his days battling with the Lombards and trying to hold the Church together. When he died on 30 July he had been pope for 1,519 days.[3]
^abcd One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Mann, Horace K. (1907). "Pope Benedict I". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^Benedict I, Pope."Benedict I".Britannica. Retrieved16 June 2005.
^Benedict I, Pope."Pope Benedict I".Pope History. Retrieved21 March 2012.
