Pope Sergius II

Sergius II reigned as pope and bishop of Rome from 844 to his death in 847. Three people in Sergius II’s family were pope at some point in time, and he was from a highly respected bloodline.

Pope Sergius II was educated in the schola cantorum, which was a singing school organized by Pope Sylvester I and Pope Gregory I. This allowed him to be educated and in contact with previous popes prior to Pope Sergius II becoming one himself.

He first became a cardinal priest at the Church of St. Martin and Sylvester by the previous Pope Paschal. He then became an archpriest under Pope Gregory II.

Quick Facts About Pope Sergius II:

  • Pope Sergius ll’s birthdate is unknown

  • Sergius II is Pope Sergius II’s birth name

  • Pope Sergius II died on January 27th, 847. The cause of his death is unknown, but right before dying he witnessed a raid on Roman territory. This was a terrible sight, and it almost ended in the enemy capturing the city. Pope Sergius II was buried at the Church of St. Peter.

  • His papacy began in 844

  • His papacy ended in 847

  • His predecessor was Pope Gregory IV

  • His successor was Pope Leo IV

Interesting facts About Pope Sergius II:

  • When deciding who the successor to Pope Gregory IV would be, most people were in favor of accepting Sergius II, however, a mob attempted to use force to place a deacon named John into the papacy. John was put into a monastery, and Sergius II became pope.

  • Sergius II had a type of inflammatory arthritis, which prevented him from being able to fully complete his job as pope on his own.

  • Sergius II allowed his brother, Benedict, to deal with the business and management aspects of his position. Benedict was money-driven and made this his sole focus.

  • Sergius II became pope without a reference from Emperor Lothaire of the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Lothaire sent his son, Louis, along with an army to investigate the validity of the election. He afterwards crowned Louis king, but would not take an oath of fealty, or loyalty, towards him.

  • He was pope during a violent time in Roman history. Before he died in 1846, there was a raid on Roman territory by Arabs. Pirates destroyed halls of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Churches and aqueducts were improved by Pope Sergius II prior to his death in 846. The pope is elected by an assembly of cardinals. They are the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church. Pope Sergius II was a teacher of the Roman Catholic faith.

He was relied on to represent the business and spiritual side of his position. The pope also has to appoint bishops and cardinals. The title of Cardinal is given to those holding an elevated position in the church hierarchy.

Cardinals advise the pope when asked and elect the successor of the pope when the current pope dies. The pope is an esteemed position that Sergius II held.

More Popes Named “Sergius”

St Pope Sergius I

Pope Sergius II

Pope Sergius III

Pope Sergius IV