The 141st Pope
John VIII
Pope John VIII (1003-1009} – He served as a cardinal-priest of the basilica of Saint Peter at the time of his election. There is not a great deal known about the reign of John VIII. He attended to ecclesiastical concerns such as lifting the suppression of the diocese of Merseburg as well as establishing the Bavarian diocese of Bamberg. The pope addressed tensions between Rome and some French bishops regarding papal privileges. Pope John also strengthened the ecclesiastical status of the dioceses Trier and Canterbury in England. Five Polish martyrs were canonized by the pope. One note of interest is that relations between Rome and Constantinople improved somewhat. Another point of interest for us in our current time is that, near the time of his death, he abdicated and entered a monastery. Pope John VIII is interred in the basilica of Saint Paul's Outside the Walls.
Habemus papam