Saint John I, pope and martyr

On 18 May 526, Pope John I died a martyr, after he was cast in prison by Theodoric the Great, the Ostrogothic ruler at Rome, and died of neglect, abuse and starvation there. He is an extraordinary example of the defence of the faith in the face of multiple and powerful enemies. The historical documents we have on him is very extensive: he reigned for three years at a complex time in history. His pontificate was short, but exemplary for his orthodoxy and fidelity to Christ.

Les raisons d'y croire :

Pope John I died a martyr: his sincerity and total obedience to Christ speak for themselves.

At the risk of his life, he led and supported the Christians of Rome in a very troubled context.

Despite the persecution he suffered, he succeeded in bringing about important changes in the Church, such as fixing the date of Easter and carrying out major renovations to the early Christian cemeteries.

In this tense context, no threats or danger stopped him when it came to defending the faith.

his fight against the Arian heresy made him a prime target. He however never resorted to verbal or physical violence, even in the face of utter adversity.

During the pontificate of Symmachus (498-514), Hormisdas opposed the antipope Lorenzo, whom John sided with, adopting an error of which he quickly became aware. Far from condoning his mistake, in 506 he asked Symmachus for forgiveness, publicly confessing his error: this is a sign of exceptional humility.

Beyond the duties of his office, which he fulfilled with total self-sacrifice, John showed exceptional temperance and charity. Caught in the crossfire between the the Byzantine Emperor and the gothic king, he managed to remain supernaturally serene, to the astonishment of both sides.

The way that Pope John, a frail man, exposed himself to great fatigue, dangers and death by traveling to Constantinople as a peace ambassador, and accepted his ultimate final fate is remarkable.

Despite the difficult position he was placed in, he never changed course and never compromised. What's even more incredible is that he never condemned any of his enemies, for whom he gave his life without their realizing it.

Synthèse :

John, the future 53rd pope in history, was probably born in Siena (Italy, Umbria) around 470. His father's name was Constantius. He studied in Florence and then in Rome. We have many details of his career in the Roman Curia: he was one of the seven deacons of the Eternal City, a ministry he fulfilled for some thirty years without ever having experienced the slightest adversity, despite the troubled climate. He signed the Acts of the Roman Synods of 499 and 502. He was created cardinal-priest by Pope Gelasius I,and then became archdeacon to Pope Hormisdas, whom he succeeded on 13 August 523, seven days after the latter's death, after having been the direct collaborator of two sovereign pontiffs, Athanasius II and Saint Symmachus.

It was a difficult time on every level: the Roman Empire was dying and Arianism, the heresy condemned at the Council of Nicaea (325), was gaining ground. The Church was in turmoil, popes and antipopes clashed, but John did not shirk his duties, starting with the defence of the Catholic faith, at the risk of his life.

The philosopher Boethius dedicated three of his five religious treatises to him, and John I encouraged artistic life in Rome and beyond, particularly sacred song, by exploring the potential of the Old Roman chant that had emerged in the previous century.

Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths and an Arian himself, tolerated Catholicism (the religion of his wife Audofleda, King of the Frank Clovis' sister) until the day in 524 when an edict from the Byzantine emperor Justin I made Arianism the enemy to be destroyed: "Immediate closure of all Arian churches in Constantinople, exclusion from all public, civil and military functions for all citizens recognised as Arian sectarians." The following year, Theodoric, considered by many officials to be the leader of the Arians, summoned Pope John I to Ravenna and sent him to Constantinople against his will in order to curb the imperial policy, which was considered to be belligerent towards the Arians.

John's reaction is simply inexplicable from a psychological point of view: he could very well have explained to Theodoric that he was no friend of the emperor, but he obeyed him without a second thought. Why did he do so? Because he put the defence of the Gospel above everything else, starting with himself. He thought that by playing the role of ambassador to Justin, he would encourage the return of peace. In reality, Theodoric used him as a hostage. Here is what he wrote to John, now a prisoner: "You will go to Justin and obtain from him on my behalf: the withdrawal of his edict, the reopening of all Arian churches and the admission into them of all apostates from Catholicism. If not, be prepared for violent anti-Catholic reprisals."

The content of John's response is unusually benevolent in this type of situation, and bears no resemblance to a diplomatic posture: "Here I am before you, do what you will to me; but I promise you nothing about those who have been reconciled (with the Catholic Church); isn't their situation dangerous and irritating? How can we get these unstable people to be allowed to return to heresy? However, apart from this notorious impossibility, for the rest, with God's help, I think I can satisfy you and I will do everything to please you and bring you closer to Justin."

The Pope left in the company of five Catholic bishops and a handful of senators. In December 526, Emperor Justin received him with great pomp, "like Saint Peter himself", according to his entourage. He promised to return the property confiscated from the Arians and to authorise their worship "under certain conditions" ; but, on the other hand, there was "no possibility of an Arian holding public office". This was a rejection. Theodoric was eagerly awaiting him in Ravenna. No sooner had the pope set foot on dry land than he was molested, then imprisoned manu militari in a city jail, where he was denied food and drink and died a martyr on 18 May 526

Patrick Sbalchiero

Au-delà des raisons d'y croire :

Pope John I was personally involved in the defence of sacred chant, paving the way for the "Gregorian chant" in the following century.

Aller plus loin :

Philippe Levillain (ed.), Dictionnaire historique de la papauté, Paris, Fayard, 1994.

En savoir plus :

Philippe Blaudeau, "Rome et Constantinople", in Jean-Robert Armogathe (ed.), Histoire générale du christianisme des origines au XVe siècle, vol. 1, Paris, PUF, Quadrige, 2011, pp. 283-320.