Lentorama 2010: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 9 - Zosimus (417-418)

Zosimus is the only pope in this half-century to not have his name used by another pope. There's the first Innocent, Celestine, Boniface and Leo, all of which were repeated later, in some cases several times. But there remains only one Zosimus. Why is that?

Turns out that Sozimus was probably a bit to belligerent to serve effectively, as he inserted himself in situations in Gaul and Africa that didn't end well (or end at all - Leo had to solve one the problems, and he didn't start as pope until the 440s). Zosimus was either highly suggestible or not that bright, as he seemed to take the side of whomever he was talking to at the time. This was most notable in his acceptance of supporters of the Pelagianic heresy (who argued that original sin didn't taint human nature).

He also banned clerics from taverns, a move that you think would get him blackballed from sainthood. But Zosimus is officially St. Zosimus, sort of an early ecclesiastical George W. Bush who didn't let intellectual shortcomings get in the way of the top job.