Popes 2D - Benedict

Popes 2D - Benedict   Pope Benedict XIV (and portrait-bomber) by Giuseppe Maria Crespi, courtesy of meisterdrucke.us   These notes were not produced by AI; at a few points Magisterium AI was asked for bits of information that I digested and included in the narrative; as usual, a great deal depends on the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913).   Name Dates Birth Name St. Benedict of Nursia Life c. 480–543 (or 547) Benedict Benedict I 575–579 Bonosus (also called Benedictus) Benedict II 684–685 Benedict Benedict III 855–858 Benedict Benedict IV 900–903 Benedict Benedict V 964 Benedict Benedict VI 973–974 Benedict Benedict VII 974–983 Benedict Benedict VIII 1012–1024 Son of Count Gregory of Tusculum Benedict IX 1032–1044; 1045; 1047–1048 Theophylact of Tusculum Antipope Benedict X 1058 – 1059 (deposed) Unknown Benedict XI 1303–1304 Niccolò Boccasini Benedict XII 1334–1342 Jacques Fournier Antipope Benedict XIII 1394–1417 Pedro de Luna Benedict XIII 1724–1730 Pietro Francesco Orsini Benedict XIV 1740–1758 Prospero Lambertini Benedict XV 1914–1922 Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa Benedict XVI 2005–2013 Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger   Through Benedict XII / Antipope Benedict XIII there is considerable overlap between the historical periods covered by Johns and by Benedicts.   St. Benedict: Hermit, abbot, founder of the Benedictines and writer of their Rule, among the most consequential men of the patristic era.   Benedict I: Pope in a time of great upheaval, the early stages of the Lombard invasion of Italy. The Arian Ostrogoths had ruled Italy in the early sixth century but for the most part the popes could live with them. The Byzantines under Justinian invaded and wrecked Italy, finally consolidating power by 555, but the weakened peninsula was then overwhelmed by new Germanic invaders, the Lombards, starting in 568. The Lombards became Catholic but were still political antagonists of the popes for centuries. Little is preserved about Benedict I's pontificate due to the violence of the period.   St. Benedict II: Despite the shortness of his pontificate, a holy and consequential Pope. Negotiated important concessions from the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Pogonatus regarding the imperial confirmation of papal elections, probably making it possible to receive them from the exarch in Ravenna instead of Constantinople, and was in general on good terms with the Byzantines. Promoted acceptance of the canons of the Sixth Council, Constantinople III (which had been held under the auspices of Pogonatus) by bishops in Spain, by Macarius of Antioch, and others. Supported St. Wilfrid in his conflict with neighboring bishops (as did John VI).   Benedict III: Clergy and Frankish imperial officials initially supported an antipope Anastasius against him, delaying his consecration. Into this gap a 14th century historian inserted one version of the fable of Pope Joan. His pontificate was troubled by turmoil in the Frankish realms. Apparently King Ethelwulf and Prince Alfred of Wessex visited him.   Benedict IV: Pope at the beginning of the troubled tenth century, but one of the better ones. Crowned Louis the Blind as Holy Roman Emperor, continued cleaning up the wreckage of the Cadaver Synod by confirming Pope Formosus' choice of Bishop of Langres.   Benedict V: Elected pope after the death of John XII and inherited the conflict