GIOVANNI di SAN PAOLO. — Benedictine and later cardinal, died between 1214 and 1215. His identity with the homonymous physician of the Salernitan school, author of several medical books, appears to be established.
G. was certainly a monk (perhaps rector or abbot) of S. Paolo fuori le mura. Created cardinal of S. Prisca in 1193 by Celestine III, he wielded great influence under this Pope, who, upon his death (1197), apparently wished him to be his successor. Under Innocent III as well, G. took a considerable part in the government of the Church. In 1198 he was sent as papal legate to Marwald d'Anweiler, imperial duke of the Marca anconitana, who was encroaching upon the rights of the Pontiff. In the years 1200–1201 he was papal legate against the Albigensians of Narbonne and Provence and also worked to resolve the dispute between Filippo Augusto and his wife
Ingeberga (Council of Soissons, March 1201). From a testimony by Giraldo di Cambrai dating from 1200, it is known that G. was at that time the Pope’s penitentiary, the first known to have held this office, which he retained even after his election as bishop of Sabina (late 1204). G. is known above all for the effective support he gave to s. Francesco and his nascent Order, having defended it before the Pope and obtained in 1209 (or 1210?) the approval of the first Franciscan Rule, perhaps through the intercession of Bishop Guido di Assisi. G. died before the Fourth Lateran Council.