DIOSCORUS, Pope. - Deacon of the church of Alexandria, forced by the Monophysite controversies to go into exile, he took refuge in Rome, where he was aggregated to that clergy.
In 505 he was sent by Pope Symmachus to Theodoric to protest against the usurpations of the antipope Laurentius; he pleaded the Pope's cause so effectively that Theodoric ordered the patrician Festus to restore to the legitimate Pontiff the churches and properties taken from him and to put an end to the opposition against him. In 519 he was part of the mission sent by Pope Hormisdas to Constantinople to re-establish peace after the Acacian schism.
Because of his mental resources, his knowledge of the Eastern world, and his familiarity with the Greek language, the Pope had placed the greatest trust in him, and D. was in fact the most important person of the legation. He was in fact designated to set out before the clergy of Constantinople the reasons that had induced the Pope to condemn Acacius, and he did so so well that he obtained the approval of the Easterners. Hormisdas accordingly addressed a letter to him thanking him for the work carried out and announcing that he would propose him to the Emperor for the see of Alexandria. The negotiations with Justin, however, came to nothing and D. remained a deacon in Rome. There he acquired great influence over everyone, so much so that, in consideration of his past merits and his previous activity, which gave good promise for the future, there was thought of electing him as successor to Felix IV. The latter, however, fearing struggles and schisms after his death, designated as his successor his archdeacon Boniface, who was in fact elected by a minority and consecrated (Sept. 530). The majority of the clergy elected D. instead, who was also consecrated in the Lateran basilica, while Boniface was consecrated in the basilica Julia. D. cannot be counted among the antipopes (v.). The schism that was taking shape was nevertheless averted, since D. died a few days later (Oct. 14) and his adherents submitted to Boniface, also signing a libellus of retraction and anathema against D. The libellus was preserved by Boniface in the church archive as a posthumous condemnation of D., but his successor Agapitus (535) burned it before the people in front of the Confession of St. Peter.