Catelinus Anastasius

Born [date unknown] in Rome, Byzantine Empire

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Biography

Pope John III Anastasius is Notable.

Catelinus was born in Rome^[1], the son of Anastasius, vir illustris of the Roman Senate.^[2], the son of Anastasius who held the title of illustris.^[3]

It is thought he may be the subdeacon John who collected the writings of the Church Fathers.^[2]

He was elected pope and consecrated on 17 July 561 taking the name John III.^[1][2]

During his papacy the Emperor Justinian I died in 565 and the Lombards invaded Italy in 568.^[2]

He died on 13 July 574.^[1][2]

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

Pope from July 17, 561 - July 13, 574 A.D.

Died: 574 A.D.

Birth name: Catelinus

Born to a distinguished Roman family, John III was the second pope in history to have taken a different name than the one he was given at birth. Originally named Catelinus, he opted for the name John upon his election July 17, 561.

Though John was pope for well over a decade, surprisingly little is known about his time in office due to it coinciding with the tumultuous Lombard invasion of Italy. He died four days short of his 13th anniversary as pope and was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica.

At the very least, we know that John III was a big-hearted guy who fought zealously to uphold the well-being of his people. Apparently, an inscription about him that still existed in the 15th century read, “In the midst of straits he knew how to be bountiful, and feared not to be crushed amidst a crumbling world.” Charitable and fearless. Check and check.

After some political drama and the marauding Lombards forced John from Rome, he eventually found refuge in the catacomb of Praetextatus, which had been built at the end of the 2nd century. After spending several months there, John began to admire the historic burial grounds, and following his exit ordered them to be restored and equipped for regular Masses.

The new Hagia Sophia was completed at a cost of around 20,000 pounds of gold. Its magnificent beauty, however, made it worth the cost, as it became the crown jewel of Eastern Orthodoxy and remains one of the world's great architectural achievements.

Research Notes

This profile is being updated by the Popes Project.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Vatican
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Wikipedia: Pope John III
3. ↑ New advent Pope John III
4. ↑ Flocknote Popes in a Year
   SOURCES (and further reading)
   John, E. (1964). The Popes: A concise biographical history. New York: Hawthorn Books.
   Pope John III - http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08422a.htm
   Pope John III - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_III
   560s - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/560s