Antipope Christopher

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Antipope

Christopher
Papacy beganOctober 903
Papacy endedJanuary 904
Predecessor
Roman claimant:
Leo V
Sergius III
Antipapal claimant:
Boniface VII
Opposed to
Other post(s)
Roman Catholic
ParentsLeo (?)

Christopher claimed the

papacy from October 903 to January 904.[1] Although he was listed as a legitimate pope in most modern lists of popes until the first half of the 20th century, the apparently uncanonical method by which he obtained the papacy led to his being removed from the quasi-official roster of popes, the Annuario Pontificio. As such, he is now considered an antipope by the Catholic Church
.

Life and reign

Little is known about the life of Christopher; the lack of reliable, consistent sources makes it difficult to establish a concise biography. It is believed that he was a

Holy Ghost proceeded "from the Father and from the Son". However, the document claims that Christopher made this profession to Sergius, Patriarch of Constantinople. At that time, however, Nicholas Mystikos was Patriarch of Constantinople, making the account historically suspect. (Sergius I was Patriarch in 610–638, and Sergius II
in 1001–1019.)

Imaginary portrait by Giovanni Battista de'Cavalieri

Dethroning

Christopher was driven from the antipapacy by Pope

Hermannus Contractus contends that Christopher was compelled to end his days living as a monk.[3] However, the historian Eugenius Vulgarius says he was strangled in prison.[4]

Legitimacy

Some[

Annuario pontificio's list of popes
.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Christophorus" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 295.
  2. ^ Mon. Græca ad Photium pertinent., p. 160, ed. Joseph Hergenröther, Ratisbon, 1869.
  3. ^ Chronicle of Hermannus Contractus, ad an. 904.
  4. ^ Ernst Dümmler, Auxilius und Vulgarius (Leipzig, 1866), 160, 135.
  5. ^ Liber Pontificalis, II, ed. Duchesne; Watterich, Pontificum Romanorum Vitae, I; and Origines de l'Église romaine, I, par les membres de la communauté de Solesmes, Paris, 1836.
  6. ^ Philipp Jaffé, Regesta RR. Pont., I, n. 4212.
  7. ^ Philipp Jaffé, Regesta RR. Pont., 3532, 2d ed.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Pope Christopher". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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