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Pope St. Symmachus was a strong supporter of Orthodoxy during the Acacian Schism, and had to deal with Byzantine opposition and an antipope during his pontificate.
Symmachus was born in Sardinia and converted to Christianity. He was baptized in Rome, where, under his predecessor Anastasius II, he became archdeacon of the Church. Shortly after the death of Anastasius, Symmachus was elected to succeed him by a majority of the Roman clergy. However, a minority faction simultaneously selected Laurentius, who had the backing of Byzantine supporters. Both candidates were consecreated on the same day, and the members of their respective factions appealed to Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, to decide between them. Theodoric chose Symmachus.
In March of 499, Symmachus held a synod in which it was decided that any Roman cleric who engaged in electioneering for a pope's possible successor during the lifetime of the pope would be deposed. Symmachus also bestowed on Laurentius the diocese of Nocera, Italy, and Laurentius accepted.
However, many of Laurentius' supporters refused to give up the cause. When in 501 Symmachus set the date of Easter on March 25 according to the old Roman cycle, the Laurentius faction, who followed a newer reckoning, accused Symmachus of setting the holy date arbitrarily. They also took the opportunity to charge the pope with despoiling the Church and fornication. They appealed to King Theodoric to come settle matters once again.
Symmachus met Theodoric as requested at Rimini, and learned of the charges against him; but, refusing to acknowledge Theodoric's right to judge him, he went home again. The Laurentian supporters continued to make accusations against him, and soon they occupied the Lateran Palace, forcing Symmachus to take up residence outside the city walls, near the Church of St. Peter.
At the behest of Laurentius' supporters, Theodoric then held a synod of his own. Those assembled decided that bishops had no right to pass judgment on a pope. Theodoric was unsatisfied with these results, and he allowed Laurentius to return to Rome. Four years of unrest followed, during which time the Laurentian supporters took control of many churches, though Symmachus remained in charge of his see.
Eventually, Symmachus won Theodoric over, and the king ousted the Laurentians and made them relinquish the churches. Laurentius retired, and only a small party remained unreconciled to Symmachus; they later returned to the fold when Symmachus' successor Hormisdas became pope. The dispute resulted in some falsified literature that became known as the Symmachan Forgeries, the purpose of which was allegedly to provide support for the doctrine that the pope could be judged by no man.
As a strong supporter of Orthodoxy, Symmachus came up against the Byzantine emperor Anastasius I in the Acacian Schism. Anastasius accused Symmachus of favoring Manichaeism, a dualistic religion. Symmachus not only denied the charges, he expelled the Manichaeans from Rome and had their books burned.
Symmachus did much to help the poor, building refuges and stepping in to assist the African Catholics that were persecuted by the Arians. He built and restored several Roman churches, among them the basilica of S. Agnese Fuori le Mura on the Via Aurelia.
Hormisdas would succeed Symmachus to the papal chair.
Important Dates
Consecrated as Pope: Nov. 22, 498
Holds synod at Rome: March 1, 499
Died: July 19, 514
On the Web
Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope St. Symmachus (498-514)
Fairly extensive overview of Symmachus and his pontificate by J. P. Kirsch.Pope Symmachus
Concise introduction to Symmachus at Wikipedia.St. Symmachus
Accessible biography at Christ's Faithful People.
Related Topics
Symmachian Forgeries
A collection of excerpts from various sources concerning the forgeries and their significance, compiled by J. Michael Gainor.
In Print
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to John Paul II
by Richard P. McBrienChronicle of the Popes: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Papacy over 2000 Years
by P. G. Maxwell-Stuart
Related Resources
The Papacy
Index of sites regarding the Popes and the political entity of the Papal States, their impact on medieval culture, and the schisms they endured and overcame.Early Europe
Directory of sites that offer useful resources for the study of Europe in Late Antiquty, or shortly after the fall of Rome.
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