Lentorama 2010: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 11: Silverius (536-537)

Silverius is the first son of a pope to become pope, as his dad, Pope Hormisdas, took orders after Silverius was born. This would not become the model for future father-son duos.

As for his actual reign, the most notable thing is that he was deposed by the Byzantine general Belisarius, charging that Silverius was passing information to the Goths. True or not, Silverius was busted down to monk and left Rome, going to Constantinople to get the backing of the Byzantine emperor, Justinian I. That didn't work out so well, as when he was sent back to Rome Belisarius managed to have him exiled to an island off the Italian coast, where he would later die.

For all that, Silverius managed to become a saint, though apparently by public acclimation rather than the more formal way. I didn't know you could do that. I should start my campaign now.