Pope Valentine facts for kids
Pope Valentine (died October 10, 827) was a leader of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States for about two months in the year 827. He was a nobleman from Rome and was chosen by other nobles to become Pope. This way of choosing a Pope, with nobles having a big say, was becoming more common at the time. He became Pope even before he was officially made a priest, which was quite unusual for that time.
Quick facts for kids Pope Valentine |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of Rome | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Papacy began | c. 31 August 827 |
| Papacy ended | c. 10 October 827 |
| Predecessor | Eugene II |
| Successor | Gregory IV |
| Orders | |
| Created Cardinal | 820 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rome, Papal States |
| Died | 10 October 827 Rome, Papal States |
Early Life and Church Service
Valentine was born in Rome, in an area called Via Lata. His father was a Roman noble named Leontius. Valentine showed a talent for learning from a young age. He studied at a school connected to the Lateran Palace.
According to old records, Pope Paschal I (who was Pope from 817 to 824) made Valentine a deacon. A deacon is a helper in the church. People who wrote about Valentine praised him for being very religious and having good morals. This helped him gain the favor of Pope Paschal I, who later made him an archdeacon, which is a higher rank.
Valentine was also clearly favored by Pope Paschal's successor, Pope Eugene II.
Becoming Pope
When Pope Eugene II passed away, Valentine was chosen as the new Pope by the Roman clergy (church leaders), nobles, and the people. They took him from the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and brought him to the Lateran Palace, even though he protested.
In their hurry, they made him Pope before he was officially made a priest. This was very unusual and the first time it had happened in the history of the papacy. Later, it happened again with Pope Benedict III. On the Sunday after his election, Valentine was formally made a bishop at St. Peter's Basilica.
No representatives from the Carolingian emperor were there during his election. Pope Valentine did not have a chance to get his election approved by the emperor, because he died just five weeks later, on October 10, 827.
What His Election Meant
Pope Valentine's election showed that the Roman nobility (important families) were gaining more power in choosing the Pope. They not only managed to get one of their own elected, but they also took part in the election itself.
Earlier, a meeting called the Lateran Council of 769 had said that only the Roman clergy should choose the Pope. Nobles were only supposed to show their respect after the Pope was chosen. However, a new agreement in 817, called the Ludowicianum, allowed Roman lay nobles (non-clergy nobles) to take part in papal elections. This meant that nobles slowly gained more and more influence over who became Pope.
See also
In Spanish: Valentín (papa) para niños
