Pope Stephen III
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Pope Stephen III |
|
|---|---|
| Papacy began | 7 August 768 |
| Papacy ended | 1 February 772 |
| Predecessor | Paul I |
| Successor | Adrian I |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Stephanus |
| Born | 723 Theme of Sicily, Byzantine Empire |
| Died | 1 February 772 Rome, Papal States |
Pope Stephen III (Latin: Stephanus III; 723 – 1 February 772) was the Pope from 7 August 768 to his death in 772.
Born on 723 in Sicily, Stephen III was the son of a man named Olivus. Coming to Rome during the pontificate of Pope Gregory III, he was placed in the monastery of St. Chrysogonus, where he became a Benedictine monk. During the pontificate of Pope Zachary, he was ordained a priest, after which the pope decided to keep him to work at the Lateran Palace. Stephen gradually rose to high office in the service of successive popes, and was at the bedside of the dying Pope Paul I as powerful factions began manoeuvring to ensure the election of their own candidate in late June 767.
The next year was consumed by the rival claims of antipopes Constantine II (installed by a faction of Tuscan nobles) and Philip (the candidate of the Lombards), who were forced out of office by the efforts of Christophorus, the Primicerius of the notaries, and his son Sergius, the Treasurer of the Roman church. With the capture of Constantine II, Christophorus set about organising a canonical election, and on August 1 he summoned not only the Roman clergy and army, but also the people to assemble before the Church of St. Adrian in the area of the old Comitium. Here the combined assembly elected Stephen as pope. They then proceeded to the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, where they acclaimed Stephen as pope-elect, and escorted him to the Lateran Palace.
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