1. Education

Discuss in my forum

Pope Felix IV

By , About.com Guide

Image of Pope Felix IV taken from The Lives and Times of the Popes by Artaud de Montor.

Image of Pope Felix IV taken from The Lives and Times of the Popes by Artaud de Montor.

Public Domain
This profile of Pope Felix IV is part of
Who's Who in Medieval History

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Pope Felix IV was known for:

getting appointed pope by the King of the Ostrogoths, Theodoric, yet managing to perform admirably in his role as pontiff.

Occupations:

Places of Residence and Influence:

Important Dates:

Elected: July 12, 526
Died: Sept. 22, 530

About Pope Felix IV:

When John I died in the prison where Theodoric had confined him, both the clergy and the laity were unwilling to oppose the king of the Ostrogoths. Theodoric's choice for John's successor, the cardinal-priest Felix of Samnium, was therefore selected as the next pope. He was consecrated in mid-July of 526. Theodoric died in late August, leaving his grandson, the minor Athalric, as his heir, and Athalric's mother Amalasuntha as regent for the boy.

Since Amalasuntha was kindly-disposed toward Catholics, the rest of Felix' pontificate was a productive one, relatively free from fear of secular powers. Felix called the second Council of Orange in 529, where he put an end to a controversy over the the nature and efficiency of grace by condemning Semi-Pelagianism. He also converted two adjacent pagan temples in Rome, given the papacy by Amalasuntha, into the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian.

In the hopes of avoiding a disputed succession, Felix deliberately named the archdeacon Boniface as his successor. He is sometimes numbered as Felix III, due to the fourth-century antipope Felix II (who is not always counted in the papal chronology).

Pope Felix IV Resources:

Portrait of Pope Felix IV

Pope Felix IV on the Web

Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope St. Felix IV
Substantive biography by J. P. Kirsch.

Pope Felix IV 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. McBrien

Chronicle of the Popes: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Papacy over 2000 Years
by P. G. Maxwell-Stuart


The Papacy
Hagiography



Who's Who Directories:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Chronological Index

Geographical Index

Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.