Boniface VII
. Boniface VII (* in Rome , † July 985 ), actually Franco, son of Ferrucius was 974 anti-pope and 984/85 Pope .
Life
The cardinal deacon Franco was at the instigation of Roman nobles under Crescentius de Theodora as an antipope against Benedict VI. elected, who was murdered by the priest Stephan, instigated and bribed by Boniface, and his brother in 974. After only six weeks Boniface VII had to flee from Otto II to Byzantium , taking treasures from St. Peter's Church with him. Pope Benedict VII then excommunicated him.
When Otto died, Boniface returned to Rome in 984 and had Pope John XIV captured and imprisoned in Castel Sant'Angelo and proclaimed himself Pope. On August 20, 984, John XIV was presumably murdered. Eleven months later, Boniface also died of a presumably unnatural death. The Roman people desecrated his body and dragged it through the streets.
Even during his lifetime, the dictatorial Bonifatius VII was referred to as Malefatius (= culprit ) and horrendum monstrum (i.e. terrible monster).
In his second term in office, Boniface VII is usually seen as the rightful Pope, even if this is controversial due to his lifestyle. However, the next bearer of the name, who called himself Boniface VIII, seems to have recognized the legitimacy of the pontificate of Boniface VII in question, as can be inferred from his name count.
literature
- Paolo Delogu: BONIFACIO VII (papa). In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 12: Bonfadini – Borrello. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1970.
- Rudolf Schieffer : Boniface VII . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages (LexMA). Volume 2, Artemis & Winkler, Munich / Zurich 1983, ISBN 3-7608-8902-6 , Sp. 414.
- Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz : BONIFATIUS VII. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 1, Bautz, Hamm 1975. 2nd, unchanged edition Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-013-1 , Sp. 689-690.
- Thomas Oestereich: Boniface VII (Antipope) . In: Catholic Encyclopedia , Volume 2, Robert Appleton Company, New York 1907. (This source identifies him as an antipope.)
Remarks
- ↑ Year of death 985 according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, BBKL names the year 989.
- ↑ Paolo Delogu: BONIFACIO VII (papa). In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 12: Bonfadini – Borrello. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1970.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| John XIV. |
Pope 984-985 |
John XV |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Boniface VII |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Franco; Franco, son of Ferrucius (full name at birth); Malefatius (bad name); Horrendum Monstrum (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Antipope (974), Pope (984–985) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 9th century or 10th century |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rome |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 985 |