Lentorama 2010: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats
Day 13: Severinus (640)
Severinus was elected during a time when the popes had to be confirmed by the Byzantine emperor. While this wasn't usually a big deal, the emperor at the time, Heraclius, refused to confirm Severinus until he signed off on a document about the nature of Jesus that didn't square with Rome's idea. Severinus refused to sign, at which point the Byzantine exarch (more or less a governor) in Ravenna sent people to Rome to sack the Lateran Palace and force Severinus to sign.
Severinus, learning of this, managed to keep the hordes out of the palace for three days, but they eventually got in and started packing up its contents. Even so, Severinus still refused to sign the document. Papal legates in Byzantium finally convinced Heraclius to confirm Severinus as pope, thanks to a combination of the emperor's declining health and persistent badgering.
Not that Severinus had much time to enjoy the office, as he died within a year of finally taking over the See of Rome.
03 March 2010
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