Pope from December 16, 882 - May 15, 884
Died: May 15, 884
Give me the scoop on Marinus I.
The son of a priest, Marinus I was a churchman practically his whole life. He was tabbed by Leo IV at the age of 12 to serve as a subdeacon, then was made a deacon by St. Nicholas I. Marinus was well established as a diplomat by the time of his election, having been sent east to Constantinople three times, one of which was to preside over the Fourth Council of Constantinople in 869.
He took office on December 16, 882, near the day (if not on the day) of John VIII’s death. As pope, Marinus was moderate in relation to his predecessor’s policies, affirming some and disregarding others. Notably, he absolved and reinstated Formosus, who would become pope in the early 890s, as a peace offering to get Rome’s bickering factions to cool their jets a bit. Marinus also held great respect for King Alfred of England, and as a result allowed Anglo-Saxons living in Rome to reside there tax-free. In office not 17 months, Marinus I died May 15, 884, and was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica.
What was he known for?
The choice of Marinus I to succeed John VIII was a papal first, considering that he was already a bishop in another diocese at the time of his election. Never before had a bishop been allowed to move dioceses to become Bishop of Rome, after a law struck over 400 years earlier at the Council of Nicaea required that clergy not be transferred from their home diocese. So, regardless of the reason to choose Marinus I as pope, the pick set a new precedent for where popes could come from.
Fun fact: Some medieval typos have made it unclear whether Marinus was actually the proper spelling of this pope’s name. Given that there had been a Pope Martinus (We know him as St. Martin I) in the mid-7th Century, some papal histories had referred to Popes Marinus I and II as Martinus II and Martinus III. This is presumably the reason Pope Martin IV, elected in 1281, took that name and not “Martin II.”
What else was going on in the world at the time?
In 883, great Abbey of Monte Cassino, built in the 6th Century by St. Benedict of Nursia, was sacked and burned down by the Saracens.
Coming Tomorrow...Pope Adrian III
John, E. (1964). The Popes: A concise biographical history. New York: Hawthorn Books.
Died: May 15, 884
Pronounced: MAH-rinn-ooce
Give me the scoop on Marinus I.
The son of a priest, Marinus I was a churchman practically his whole life. He was tabbed by Leo IV at the age of 12 to serve as a subdeacon, then was made a deacon by St. Nicholas I. Marinus was well established as a diplomat by the time of his election, having been sent east to Constantinople three times, one of which was to preside over the Fourth Council of Constantinople in 869.
He took office on December 16, 882, near the day (if not on the day) of John VIII’s death. As pope, Marinus was moderate in relation to his predecessor’s policies, affirming some and disregarding others. Notably, he absolved and reinstated Formosus, who would become pope in the early 890s, as a peace offering to get Rome’s bickering factions to cool their jets a bit. Marinus also held great respect for King Alfred of England, and as a result allowed Anglo-Saxons living in Rome to reside there tax-free. In office not 17 months, Marinus I died May 15, 884, and was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica.
What was he known for?
The choice of Marinus I to succeed John VIII was a papal first, considering that he was already a bishop in another diocese at the time of his election. Never before had a bishop been allowed to move dioceses to become Bishop of Rome, after a law struck over 400 years earlier at the Council of Nicaea required that clergy not be transferred from their home diocese. So, regardless of the reason to choose Marinus I as pope, the pick set a new precedent for where popes could come from.
Fun fact: Some medieval typos have made it unclear whether Marinus was actually the proper spelling of this pope’s name. Given that there had been a Pope Martinus (We know him as St. Martin I) in the mid-7th Century, some papal histories had referred to Popes Marinus I and II as Martinus II and Martinus III. This is presumably the reason Pope Martin IV, elected in 1281, took that name and not “Martin II.”
What else was going on in the world at the time?
In 883, great Abbey of Monte Cassino, built in the 6th Century by St. Benedict of Nursia, was sacked and burned down by the Saracens.
SOURCES (and further reading)
John, E. (1964). The Popes: A concise biographical history. New York: Hawthorn Books.
Guruge, A. (2010). The Next Pope. New Hampshire: WOWNH
Pope Marinus I - http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09670b.htm
Pope Marinus I - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Marinus_I
880s - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/880s
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Yes, it powers and sponsors Popes in a Year, but it's so much more than that. In fact, it's the smartest, most powerful communication tool a ministry can use for regular communication with its members. Invite your ministry to try it free!