FELICE IV, POPE. - Reigned from 526 to 530. Born in Samnium to a certain Castorius, he was raised to the supreme pontificate through the influence of Theodoric, king of the Goths, who thus dealt a blow to the free election of the Pontiff. Shortly thereafter, however, Theodoric died, and F. was freely elected, accepted, and peacefully consecrated.
He wrote to Caesarius of Arles, sending him Capitula on Grace and free will, drawn from the works of the Fathers and particularly from St Augustine, condemning Pelagius, Celestius, and Julian of Eclanum. Having obtained from Amalasuntha the «templum sacrae urbis», he readily transformed it into a Christian church, adding an apse which he had adorned with a most beautiful mosaic; to this building, which he dedicated in honour of Saints Cosmas and Damian, he joined the small temple of Romulus, son of Maxentius, to form its atrium. There he is depicted in the apse mosaic in the act of offering the building he had transformed (Wilpert, Musaici, tav. 102). Before dying, F., fearing the danger of struggles and divisions among the parties over the election of his successor, resorted to a measure hitherto unheard of: he himself designated as successor the archdeacon Boniface. The opposing party elected Dioscorus; but since the latter died after a few months, Boniface was unanimously recognized and venerated as the legitimate Pontiff, thus avoiding schism. F. died in September 530 and was buried in St Peter's.