Boniface V, Pope

BONIFACE V, Pope. - Born in Naples, he succeeded Deusdedit or Adeodatus in the pontificate on 8 Nov. 618, and was consecrated on 23 Dec. 619. At this time, even before B. was consecrated, Eleutherius, the ambitious exarch of Ravenna, taking advantage of the war between the Byzantine Empire and the Persians, rebelled against the emperor and marched toward Rome to seize it. But his own soldiers killed him in the castle of Luccioli, between Gubbio and Cagli, and sent his head to Constantinople. B. is especially remembered for his solicitude toward the English Church. He wrote indeed to Mellitus, who had passed from the see of London to that of Canterbury, and sent the pallium to his successor, Justus, urging him to continue the work of converting the Anglo-Saxons. According to the testimony of Bede, B. would be the author of the letters sent to the king of Northumbria, Edwin, to invite him to be converted and to destroy the idols, and to the wi-[{"box₂d": [484, 61, 892, 185], "label": "text", "caption": "fe of this Edwin, Ethelburga, to encourage her to communicate the faith, which she had already embraced, to her husband. According to some historians, however, the letters would be by Honorius I, successor of B. The Liber Pontificalis informs us that B. gave norms concerning the validity of wills, the right of asylum and the functions of acolytes. He died on 25 Oct. 625 and was buried in St. Peter's. The Liber Pontificalis also recalls his gentleness, his mercy and his love for the clergy, in whose favor he established bequests in his will."

Pietro Goggi