Sergius di Roma

Born [date unknown] in Rome, Papal States

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Biography

Pope Sergius II di Roma is Notable.

Sergius was born in Rome in the 9th Century.^[1]

Platina^[2] states:

Sergius the Second, a Roman, whose father was named Sergius, of the fourth ward, came to the popedom in the second year of Michael III, Emperor of Constantinople. ... However it is certain that Sergius came of a noble family.

He was educated in the schola cantorum and ordained cardinal-priest of the Church of Sts Martin and Sylvester, later becoming an archpriest.^[3]

He became pope on 25 January 844 and his pontificate ended on 27 January 847 with his death.^[1]

Flocknote Popes in a Year^[4] tells us:

Prior to being pope, Pope St. Paschal I appointed Sergius as cardinal and pastor of the Church of Sts. Martin & Sylvester in Rome. A Roman of noble birth, Sergius’ family lineage ended up getting him elected in January of 844. His election, however, was the result of a coup by the Roman nobility to suppress the selection of the archdeacon John, who had been the majority favorite of everyone but the city’s elite.

Limited in his abilities thanks to a nasty case of gout, the ever-so-crabby Sergius delegated many papal duties to his brother, Benedict, who was known to be little more than a greedy tyrant. It was a fun three years.

Sergius II died close to the anniversary of his election, January 24, 847, and it’s said that few people mourned his death.

A rule had been made in 824 that the Holy Roman Emperor must be notified of a papal election, not necessarily to give final approval, but to ensure the legitimacy of the next successor of St. Peter. Sergius II, however, decided he had better things to do. This prompted the slightly-peeved Emperor Lothair to send his son – with an army, no less – to check things out. Sergius was able to make nice, but not without first paying a high cost to the emperor, which included installing the king’s aide, Drogo, as the Bishop of Metz and granting him jurisdiction over the Church in France and Germany.

When the Muslim army finished attacking the nearby Ostia, they moved onto Rome and laid siege there until they were defeated at the hands of Louis, son of Emperor Lothair and ruler of Italy. Because many churches were among the besieged territory, Sergius II was the first pope to see St. Peter’s Basilica sacked and looted under his watch. Not exactly something to bring up at a dinner party.

In 846, Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid was installed as the first High King of Ireland. Though we’re unable to confirm, reports say he also won that year's awards for "Longest Name" and "Hardest Pronunciation."

Research Notes

This profile is being updated by the Popes Project.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Vatican
2. ↑ Platina, Bartolomeo (1479) The Lives of the Popes From the Time of Our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII, I, London: Griffith Farran & Co., p218-220, retrieved 2021-04-04.
3. ↑ Wikipedia Pope Sergius II
4. ↑ Flocknote Popes in a Year
   SOURCES (and further reading)
   John, E. (1964). The Popes: A concise biographical history. New York: Hawthorn Books.
   Pope Sergius II - http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13728c.htm
   Pope Sergius II - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Sergius_II
   840s - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/840s