Pope Marinus II
| Pope Marinus II | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Rome | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Papacy began | 30 October 942 |
| Papacy ended | May 946 |
| Predecessor | Stephen VIII |
| Successor | Agapetus II |
| Previous post | Cardinal-Priest of San Ciriaco alle Terne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marinus Rome, Papal States |
| Died | May 946 (aged 46) Rome, Papal States |
| Other popes named Marinus | |
Pope Marinus II (died May 946) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 30 October 942 to his death. He ruled during the Saeculum obscurum. He was also erroneously called Pope Martin III (Latin: Martinus III) leading to the second pope named Martin taking the name Martin IV.
Early career
Marinus was born in Rome, and prior to becoming pope he was attached to the Church of Saint Cyriacus in the Baths of Diocletian. He was said to have encountered Ulrich of Augsburg on his visit to Rome in 909, and reportedly predicted Ulrich's eventual appointment as bishop of Augsburg.[1]
Pontificate
Marinus was elevated to the papacy on 30 October 942 through intervention of Alberic II of Spoleto. This period is known as Saeculum obscurum due to the power of Alberic and his relatives over the popes. Marinus concentrated on administrative aspects of the papacy, and sought to reform both the secular and regular clergy. He extended the appointment of Archbishop Frederick of Mainz as papal vicar and missus dominicus throughout Germany and Francia.[2] Marinus later intervened when the bishop of Capua seized without authorization a church which had been given to the local Benedictine monks.[3] In fact, throughout his pontificate, Marinus favoured various monasteries, issuing a number of bulls in their favour.[4]
Marinus occupied the palace built by Pope John VII atop the Palatine Hill in the ruins of the Domus Gaiana.[5] He died in May 946 and was succeeded by Agapetus II.[6]
Name
Because of the similarity of the names Marinus and Martinus, Marinus I and Marinus II were, in some sources, mistakenly called Martinus II and Martinus III.
From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia
Pope Marinus II — Reigned 942-946; died in April or May, 946. A Roman, and a cardinal of the title of St. Ciriacus, he was one of the popes placed on the throne of St. Peter by the power of Alberic, Prince of the Romans, and who, though virtuous "durst not put their hands to anything without his permissions." Consequently Marinus II made little impression on the world. In an unassuming manner he worked for reform-abroad by his legates, at home by his own exertions. He also favoured that monastic development which had already set in, and which through the influence especially of the Congregation of Cluny, was to reform Europe. He is also said to have devoted himself to the repair of the basilicas, and to the care of the poor.
JAFFÉ, Regesta Pont. Rom. (2nd ed.); Liber Pontif., II, ed. DUCHESNE; a few Privileges for monasteries in P.L. CXXXIII; MANN, Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, IV, 218 sqq.
References
- Back to citation Mann, pgs. 218-219
- Back to citation Mann, pg. 219
- Back to citation DeCormenin, Louis Marie; Gihon, James L., A Complete History of the Popes of Rome, from Saint Peter, the First Bishop to Pius the Ninth (1857), pgs. 290-291
- Back to citation Mann, pg. 221
- Back to citation Mann, pg. 222
- Back to citation Mann, pg. 223
Bibliography
- Mann, Horace K., The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Vol. IV: The Popes in the Days of Feudal Anarchy, 891-999 (1910)
External links
- Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina with analytical indexes
- Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Pope Marinus II". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Marinus s.v. Marinus II.". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 722.
- Complete (AI-assisted) English translation of Marinus' surviving letters