MARINUS I, POPE

Pontificate: Dec. 16, 892 to May 15, 884. Born at Gallese, near Rome, Marinus entered the service of the Roman Church at the age of 12. In that capacity he enjoyed a distinguished career. As a deacon he was one of three legates sent by Pope adrian ii to Constantinople to represent the papacy at the Fourth (Eighth Ecumenical) Council of constantinople, 869–870. With Marinus playing a leading role in guiding the Council's proceedings, Partriarch photius was deposed and ignatius was confirmed as patriarch. Marinus subsequently became an archdeacon and treasurer (arcarius ) of the Roman Church and then was made bishop of Caere in Etruria by Pope john viii.

Upon the assassination of John VIII, Marinus was quickly elected pope but did not receive imperial confirmation of his election until later. Since he was the first bishop from another see to be elevated to the bishopric of Rome, some viewed his election as uncanonical. Although the evidence is vague, perhaps his election was marked by bitter partisanship soon to disrupt order in the Papal State. Despite the fact that he had played a key role in deposing Photius at the Council of Constantinople in 869–870, Mariunus did nothing to challenge the decisions of a council held in Constantinople in 879–880 which had confirmed Photius' return as patriarch of Constantinople. Thereby he continued the conciliatory policy toward the Byzantine church that had been instituted by Pope John VIII as a means of reducing tension between Rome and Constantinople. In an attempt to quiet partisan rivalry in Rome, Marinus reversed John VIII's condemnation of the leaders of a faction that opposed John's policies; among those favored was formosus (later pope) whose excommunication was lifted and his office as bishop of Porto restored. In 883 Marinus met with Emperor Charles III, the Fat, seeking help against the aggressions of Italian princes, especially Guido (Guy), duke of Spoleto, but the emperor was able to do little to constrain Guido's growing threat to the Papal State beyond declaring him deposed from his office as duke and ordering him to surrender properties illegally seized; to enforce these decisions Charles was forced to seek the services of another Italian potentate. On occasion the Pope was in contact with important ecclesiastical officials in Francia who sought his help in resolving disputes. At the request of the Anglo-Saxon king, alfred the great, he granted exemption from taxes to the Schola Saxonum in Rome.

Bibliography: Le Liber Pontificalis, ed. l. duchesne, 3 v., 2nd ed. (Paris 1955–1957), 2: 224. Regesta Pontificum Romanorum ab condita ecclesia ad annum post Christum MCXCVIII, ed. p. jaffÉ, 2 v., 2nd ed. (Leipzig 1885–1888) 2:425–426. Flodoard von Reims, Die Geschichte der Reimser Kirche, Liber IV, ch. 1, ed. m. stratmann, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores 36 (Hannover 1998) 363–364. l. duchesne, The Beginnings of the Temporal Sovereignty of the Popes, A.D. 754–1073, tr. a. h. matthew (London 1908) 1403–202. f. x. seppelt, Geschichte des Papsttums. Eine Geschichte der Päpste von den Anfängen bis zum Tod Pius X, v. 2: Das Papsttums im Frühmittelalter. Geschichte des Päpste von Regierungsantritt Gregors des Grossen bis zum Mitte des ll. Jahrhundert (Leipzig 1934) 321–323. É. amann, L'époque carolingienne, Histoire de l'Église depuis les origines jusqu’a nos jours, ed. a. fliche and v. martin 6 (Paris 1947) 436–441. p. llewellyn, Rome in the Dark Ages (London 1993) 286–315.

[w. gellhaus]