Pope Stephen III

Pope Stephen III (Latin: Stephanus III; c. 720 – 1 February 772) was the Pope from 7 August 768 to his death in 772.

Biography

Early career and election as Pope

Born around the year 720 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.

Stephen III

Stephen III may refer to:

Pope Stephen

Pope Stephen may refer to:

See also

Pope-elect Stephen

Pope-elect Stephen II was a Roman priest elected pope in March 752 to succeed Zachary; he died of a stroke a few days later, before being ordained a bishop. In 745, Zachary had made him a cardinal presbyter, with the titulus of San Crisogono, the same titulus later held by Cardinal Frederick of Lorraine, who became Pope Stephen IX.

The Annuario Pontificio attaches to its mention of Stephen II (III) the footnote: "On the death of Zachary the Roman priest Stephen was elected; but, since he died three days later and before his consecratio, which according to the canon law of the time was the true commencement of his pontificate, his name is not registered in the Liber Pontificalis nor in other lists of the popes."

From 752 to 942, eight who bore the name Stephen, including this priest, were elected pope, but only seven reigned as pope. Regnal numbering was not used for popes until the 10th century, and any numbering attached to them has been applied posthumously. The first pope to take the name Stephen after numbering became customary was called Stephen IX during his lifetime and signed all his documents "Stephanus Papa Nonus".