Antipope Laurentius

Laurentius (possibly Caelius) was an antipope of the Roman Catholic Church from 498 until 506.

Biography

Archpriest of Santa Prassede, Laurentius was elected pope on 22 November 498, in opposition to official pope Symmachus, by a dissenting faction. If Theodore Lector can be trusted, he was picked by the ex-consul Rufius Postumius Festus as a candidate, after Festus had secretly promised the Byzantine Emperor Zeno that Pope Anastasius would approve the Henotikon, but upon returning from Constantinople he found Pope Anastasius had died.

The groups supporting Laurentius and Symmachus split the clergy, Senate, and common people, leading to violent clashes between rival groups of supporters. It was clear that some form of arbitration was needed, and both groups proceeded to Ravenna to present their arguments to king Theodoric of the Ostrogoths. Jeffrey Richards observes that "it is a remarkable state of affairs when an Arian king has, for whatever reason, to choose a Catholic pope." Theodoric reviewed the facts, and found that Symmachus fulfilled his criteria for being duly consecrated pope. However, a document known as the "Laurentian Fragment" claims that Symmachus obtained the decision by paying bribes, while deacon Magnus Felix Ennodius of Milan later wrote that 400 solidi were distributed amongst influential personages, whom it would be indiscreet to name.