Saint Nicholas I
Saint Nicholas I (born c. 820 AD in Rome, Italy; died November 13, 867 AD in Rome, Italy) was Pope from 858 to 867 AD and is one of only three popes in history to receive the title "the Great" — alongside Leo I and Gregory I. He was one of the most assertive defenders of papal authority in the early medieval Church, successfully standing against the Eastern Emperor in the Photian Schism, refusing to recognize the divorce of the Frankish King Lothair II, and intervening in the affairs of the Archbishop of Ravenna and the Byzantine Patriarch. His feast day is November 13.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Nicholas I
| Saint Nicholas I | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | November 13 |
| Profession | Pope (858–867 AD); one of three popes called "the Great"; defender of papal primacy; confessor |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; papacy; Rome; Carolingian era; 9th-century Church; defender of marriage; opponent of Photius |
| Patronage | Popes; defenders of marriage; those who stand against political pressure on Church affairs |
| Attributes | Papal vestments; tiara; cross; letter or scroll (his many authoritative letters and decretals); the image of firmness against emperors and kings |
| Birthplace | Rome, Italy |
| Death Place | Rome, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died November 13, 867 AD, in Rome after nine years as pope marked by extraordinary energy and multiple simultaneous conflicts; he had been in poor health for some time before his death |
| Primary Shrine | St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City — his original tomb was in the old Constantinian basilica; no specific chapel to him in the present basilica; venerated universally on November 13 |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); November 13 |
| Historic Class | Simple (November 13) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Nicholas was born in Rome c. 820 into a family with longstanding ties to the Roman Church. He served successively under Popes Sergius II, Leo IV, and Benedict III, rising to the diaconate. He was elected pope on April 24, 858, and consecrated the same day.
His nine-year pontificate was defined by extraordinary energy and multiple simultaneous conflicts. He refused to recognize the irregular appointment of Photius as Patriarch of Constantinople, excommunicating him in 863. He stood against the Frankish King Lothair II's attempt to divorce his wife, deposing the archbishops who had approved the invalid synod.
His letter to the Bulgarians (866 AD) is a major pastoral and canonical document of the 9th century.
He died on November 13, 867 AD. He is one of only three popes in history to be called "the Great."
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Rome, Italy
Death location: Rome, Italy
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Feast day
November 13
Veneration
Saint Nicholas I is one of only three popes called "the Great" (with Leo I and Gregory I). He is remembered for his defense of papal primacy, his opposition to the irregular appointment of Photius, and his refusal to permit the divorce of King Lothair II.
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