GIOVANNI III, PAPA

GIOVANNI III, pope. — He belonged to the Roman aristocracy, being the son of the vir illustris Anastasius; he seems to have been nicknamed Catelinus. Elected pope upon the death of Pelagius I, he was consecrated on 17 July 561, having had to wait more than four months for the confirmation of Emperor Justinian. He died on 13 July 574. In the struggle between Narses and the Roman people, John adopted a conciliatory stance that must have earned him the antipathy of the populace; for this reason, after his return from Naples, where he had followed the Byzantine general to invite him to return to Rome, he took up residence near the church of SS. Tiburtius and Valerian, in the cemetery of Praetextatus, not daring to re-enter the city where Narses continued to oppress the people. During his pontificate, the Lombard invasion of Italy occurred (568). John promoted the cult of the martyrs in the Christian cemeteries, restoring them and arranging for the pontifical administration of the Lateran to provide what was necessary for Sunday celebrations. To him is also owed the completion and dedication of the basilica of the Apostles.