Pope John VIII
Head of the Catholic Church from 872 to 882 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pope John VIII (Latin: Ioannes VIII; died 16 December 882) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 14 December 872 to his death. He is often considered one of the ablest popes of the 9th century.[1]
John VIII | |
---|---|
Bishop of Rome | |
Church | Catholic Church |
Papacy began | 14 December 872 |
Papacy ended | 16 December 882 |
Predecessor | Adrian II |
Successor | Marinus I |
Personal details | |
Born | |
Died | (882-12-16)16 December 882 Rome, Papal States |
Other popes named John |
John devoted much of his papacy attempting to halt and reverse the Muslim gains in southern Italy and their march northwards. When his efforts to obtain assistance from either the Franks or the Byzantines failed, John strengthened the defences of Rome. He supported Methodius of Thessalonica in his mission to the Slavs, defended him against the Carolingian rulers and Bavarian clergy, and authorized the translation of the Bible into Slavonic. John also extended diplomatic recognition to the Duchy of Croatia and resolved the Photian schism. John's pontificate ended with his assassination, and the papacy became significantly weaker in the aftermath.