Pope Zachary (Latin:Zacharias; 679 – March 752) was thebishop of Rome from 28 November 741[1] to his death in March 752. He was the lastpope of theByzantine Papacy. Zachary built the original church ofSanta Maria sopra Minerva, forbade the traffic of slaves inRome, negotiated peace with theLombards, and sanctionedPepin the Short's usurpation of the Frankish throne fromChilderic III. Zachary is regarded as a capable administrator and a skillful and subtle diplomat in a dangerous time.
Zachary was born into a family of Greek origin,[1] in theCalabrian town ofSanta Severina. He was most probably adeacon of the Roman Church and as such signed the decrees of the Roman council of 732. He wasselected to succeedGregory III aspope on 3 December[2] or 5 December 741.[3]
Gregory III's alliance with theLombardDuchy of Spoleto put papal cities at risk when thedukes of Spoleto andBenevento rebelled. Zachary turned to KingLiutprand the Lombard directly. Out of respect for Zachary the king restored to the church of Rome all the territory seized by the Lombards and sent back the captives without ransom.[4] The contemporary history (Liber pontificalis) dwells chiefly on Zachary's personal influence with Liutprand, and with his successorRatchis.[5] At the request of theExarchate of Ravenna, Zachary persuaded Liutprand to abandon a planned attack on Ravenna and to restore territory seized from the city.[3]
Zachary corresponded with ArchbishopBoniface ofMainz,[5] counseling him about dealing with disreputable prelates such asMilo, bishop of Reims and Trier. "As for Milo and his like, who are doing great injury to the church of God, preach in season and out of season, according to the word of the Apostle, that they cease from their evil ways."[6] At Boniface's request, Zachary confirmed three newly established bishoprics ofWürzburg,Büraburg, andErfurt. In 742 he appointed Boniface as papal legate to theConcilium Germanicum, hosted byCarloman, one of the Frankishmayors of the Palace. In a later letter Zachary confirmed the metropolitans appointed by Boniface toRouen,Reims andSens. In 745 Zachary convened asynod in Rome to discourage a tendency toward the worship of angels.[7]
Zachary corresponded with temporal rulers as well. Answering a question from the Frankish Mayor of the PalacePepin the Short, who planned to usurp the Frankish throne from the puppet-kingChilderic III, Zachary rendered the opinion that it was better that he should be king who had the royal power than he who had not. Shortly thereafter, the Frankish nobles decided to abandon Childeric, the lastMerovingian king, in favor of Pepin.[5] Zachary remonstrated with theByzantine emperorConstantine V on hisiconoclastic policies.[3][5]
Zachary built the original church ofSanta Maria sopra Minerva over an ancient temple toMinerva near thePantheon. He also restored the decayingLateran Palace, moving the relic of the head ofSaint George to the church ofSan Giorgio al Velabro. After Venetian merchants bought many slaves in Rome to sell to the Muslims ofAfrica, Zachary forbade such traffic and then paid the merchants their price, giving the slaves their freedom.[4][8][9]
Pope Zachary died around 15 March 752 (it may also have been the 12th or 14th)[2] and was buried inSt. Peter's Basilica. His elected successor,Stephen, died within days, and Zachary was finally succeeded byStephen II. The letters and decrees of Zachary are published inJacques Paul Migne,Patrolog. lat. lxxxix. p. 917–960.[5]
Church historianJohann Peter Kirsch said of Zachary: "In a troubled era Zachary proved himself to be an excellent, capable, vigorous, and charitable successor of Peter."[3]Peter Partner called Zachary a skilled diplomat, "perhaps the most subtle and able of all the Roman pontiffs, in this dark corridor in which the Roman See hovered just inside the doors of the Byzantine world."[10]
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