Lentorama 2025: Perfunctory Popes

Day 36: Stephen IX

Born into a ducal family of Lorraine, the future Stephen began his clerical career in Liege, but was soon invited the Rome by Pope Leo IX, who made him chancellor in 1051, and named him one of three legates to Constantinople in 1054. He was on the team that attempted - but failed - to prevent the Great Schism that saw the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches break communion.

Stephen returned to Rome suspiciously richer than when he left. The Byzantine emperor did give gifts to the papal legates (as well as gifts for the Holy See), but it did lead to questions about Stephen's conduct in Constantinople. While he retained the chancellorship under Victor II, these questions eventually led Stephen to leave Rome and take up residence in the monastery at Montecassino. 

A change of Holy Roman Emperor and the reconciliation of Stephen's family with other nobles removed some of the pressure, and a conflict over the naming of a new abbot for Montecassino led Victor to name Stephen the new abbot. This revived his career, and he would later be named a cardinal and would take up residence in Rome near his titular church.

When Victor died in 1057, the Romans drew up a list of possible replacements. The list had five names on it, and after much discussion it was decided that none of them were quite what they wanted. They decided that they wanted Stephen, and talked him into taking the throne.

As pope Stephen was a supporter of the Gregorian Reforms, which sought to reinforce the moral standing and independence of the clergy. He was especially in favor of clerical celibacy, noting it as a primary difference between the Eastern and Western churches. He also pushed reforms at Montecassino, where he remained abbot until his death.

Stephen was also involved in political affairs, which likely led to his death. He was very interested in driving the Normans out of southern Italy, and wanted to tie that into making his brother the Holy Roman Emperor. This wasn't a popular move (nor was his "borrowing" money from Montecassino to fund this adventure), and it's likely that someone among the Romans had Stephen poisoned. Stephen died in Florence 239 days after becoming pope. 

Prior to leaving Rome, Stephen had ordered that if he died, a new pope was not to be elected until Cardinal Hildebrand returned from a mission to Germany. That didn't quite happen, leading to what is now considered the antipapcy of Benedict X.