Pope Anastasius II facts for kids

Pope Anastasius II was the leader of the Catholic Church from November 496 until he died in November 498. He was born in Rome, Italy. He tried to bring different parts of the Christian church back together. However, his efforts caused new problems after he died. Pope Anastasius II is buried in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He is one of only two popes from the first 500 years who is not officially recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

About Pope Anastasius II

Pope Anastasius II became pope on November 24, 496. He was the son of a priest. His main goal was to fix a big disagreement within the Christian church. This disagreement was called the Acacian schism. It had been going on for many years.

He is one of the few popes from the early church who is not considered a saint. Another pope, Pope Liberius, is also not a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. However, Liberius is seen as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Acacian Schism: A Big Disagreement

Since 484, there had been a serious argument in the Christian church. This argument was between the churches in the West (like Rome) and the churches in the East (like Constantinople). It was known as the Acacian schism.

Previous popes, Felix III and Gelasius I, had been very strict. They had removed many important religious leaders from the Eastern church. This included Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor Zeno tried to solve the problem. But the popes did not agree with his ideas. This led to a big split between the churches.

When Pope Gelasius I died, Anastasius II was chosen as pope. Many people supported him because they wanted to improve relations. They hoped he could end the long-standing disagreement.

Trying to Unite the Churches

As soon as he became pope, Anastasius II sent two bishops to Constantinople. They were to meet with the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I. The emperor had the same name as the pope. Their goal was to find a way to end the schism.

Pope Anastasius II wrote a letter saying he would accept baptisms done by Acacius. He wanted God to decide the issue, not church leaders. Emperor Anastasius I also seemed willing to work together. But he wanted the pope to accept the Henotikon. This was a compromise idea developed by Emperor Zeno.

To show he wanted peace, Pope Anastasius II was said to have given communion to Photinus of Thessalonica. Photinus was a supporter of Acacius.

Reactions in Rome

These friendly actions made many bishops and clergy in Rome very angry. It created a clear split. Some supported being kinder to the Monophysites in the Byzantine Empire. Others strongly opposed it.

Because Anastasius II gave communion to Photinus, many in Rome refused to take communion from the pope. The situation became very tense and difficult.

Death and Lasting Impact

At the height of this tension, Pope Anastasius II suddenly died. This happened in 498. For those who did not like his attempts to unite the churches, his death was seen as a sign from God.

The groups that had formed during his time as pope split completely. Each group chose a different person to be the next pope. The group against his efforts chose Symmachus. But an important Roman Senator named Rufius Postumius Festus supported another person, Antipope Laurentius. Senator Festus had strongly pushed for Anastasius II's efforts to make peace.

This led to a new split within the Roman church itself. This new disagreement made it impossible to fix the bigger split between the churches in Rome and Constantinople.

How People Remembered Him

For a long time in the Middle Ages, some people thought Anastasius II was a traitor to the Catholic Church. They even called him an apostate, meaning someone who leaves their faith.

Writers like the one for the Liber Pontificalis supported those who opposed Anastasius. They wrote that his death was a punishment from God. They said he had broken away from the church. Another old text, the Decretum Gratiani, said that "Anastasius, punished by God, was struck down by divine command."

However, today's experts say this old view is a "legend" or a "misinterpretation." They believe it is "unfair" to Pope Anastasius II.

The famous writer Dante placed a Pope Anastasius in the sixth circle of hell in his poem. He wrote: "I guard Pope Anastasius, he whom Photinus drew from the straight path." But modern scholars believe Dante made a mistake. They think he meant to put the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I there instead.

Pope Anastasius II is, along with Pope Liberius, one of only two of the first 50 popes not to be officially recognized as a saint.