Recommended

This week in Christian history: Iconoclastic fury, Australia’s first saint

John I becomes pope – Aug. 13, 523

Pope John I (469-526), head of the Roman Catholic Church from 523 to his death in 526 at the hands of Arian Christian ruler Theodoric the Goth.
Pope John I (469-526), head of the Roman Catholic Church from 523 to his death in 526 at the hands of Arian Christian ruler Theodoric the Goth. | Screengrab: catholic.org

This week marks the anniversary of when Pope John I, a leader known for his efforts to reconcile Eastern and Western Christianity, became head of the Roman Catholic Church.

A native of Italy, Pope John I helped to stop a war between Arian ruler Theodoric the Goth and Byzantine Emperor Justin I, who had tensions over religious differences. John I also helped heal a schism that had occurred between Eastern and Western churches in the fifth century.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

However, Theodoric had become suspicious of the pope, having concluded that he was colluding with Emperor Justin I while the pontiff was still in the Byzantine Empire.

“[A]s [Theodoric] got word of the friendly relations between the Pope and the emperor, he concluded that they were plotting against him,” explained Catholic.org.

“Hence, on the delegation's return to the capitol city of Ravenna, Pope John was imprisoned by order of Theodoric and died a short time later as a result of the treatment he experienced there.”

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

Was this article helpful?

Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone.

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage.

Most Popular

More Articles