Paul I (pope)

Pavel and his brother Stephen received a spiritual education at the Lateran Palace. After Stefan’s death on April 26, 757, Paul’s supporters prevailed over the faction of archdeacon Theophylact, and Paul was elected successor to his brother by a majority vote. The main efforts of the new pope were aimed at strengthening relations with the Franks and improving relations with the Lombards and Constantinople. For the first time, he not only did not ask the representative of the Eastern Emperor Exarch Ravenna to approve his election, but did not even inform him of the election results. This was due to the weakness of the Ravenna exarchate, exhausted by the struggle against the Lombards. Instead, Paul informed the Frankish king Pepin Korotky of his election and preservation of the pope and francs alliance. This alliance was vital for ridding Rome of the Lombard danger ^[1] .

The Lombards by this time occupied the cities of Imola , Ozimo , Bologna and Ancona , which Rome claimed, and in 758 they captured the duchies of Spoleto and Benevento. After suppressing the uprising in Benevento, the Lombard king Desiderius visited Rome and forced Paul to write a letter to Pipin asking him to acknowledge all the Lombard claims. He promised to return Imola, but on condition that the pope persuades Pipin to return the Lombard captives. ^[1]

In a letter that was supposed to ensure the safe passage of ambassadors through the territory of the Lombards, Pavel agreed to the demands of Desiderius and begged Pepin to recognize the conquests of the Lombards, conclude a peace treaty and return the hostages. At the same time, in a secret letter, Paul begged the Franks for help, advising him to pit the Lombards and Byzantines ^[1] .

Pipin considered it advisable to maintain a good relationship with Desiderius, and Paul, apparently, did little in his double game. Later, however, Pepin gave the pope some support and acted as an arbiter in resolving disputes between the Romans and the Lombards.

In 765, papal privileges were restored in Benevento and Tuscany and partly in Spoleto . Meanwhile, the estrangement from Constantinople increased more and more. Several times, especially in 759 , Paul was afraid that the Byzantine emperor would send troops against Rome. Paul lived in constant fear that Constantinople, not wanting to strengthen the Franks, would transfer Rome to the Lombards.

Paul died on June 28, 767 .

In the biographies of Paul I, his mercy is emphasized, he helped ruined people, pardoned a large number of prisoners. In 761 he founded in his house in Rome the monastery of St. Sylvester, which is now the titular basilica of San Silvestro in Capité , where he gave shelter to Greek monks who fled to Rome from the persecution of iconoclasts . He made a great contribution to the construction and restoration of many Roman churches. Soon after death, he was revered as a saint.

It was originally buried in the Basilica of St. Paul , but then his relics were transferred to St. Peter's Basilica . Memory in the Catholic Church - June 28 ^[2] .

• Korelin M.S. Pavel, popes // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Kirsch, Johann Peter . "Pope Paul I." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.