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From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 142-144.

The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina

Volume I.


[142]
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BONIFACE  IV.

A.D. 608-615.

BONIFACE the Fourth, born in Valeria, a city of the Marsi, the son of John a physician, obtained of the Emperor Phocas, the Pantheon, a temple so called because it was dedicated to Cybele and all the gods, and having cast out all the heathen images that were in it, he consecrated it on 143 May the 12th, in honour of the blessed Virgin and all the martyrs; whereupon it was afterwards called St Maria Rotunda, and Virgo ad Martyres.

At this time the Persians, under the conduct of their king, Chosroës, making an irruption into the Roman provinces, and having routed Phocas’s army, possess themselves of Jerusalem, profane and pillage the churches of the Christians, carry away the wood of our Saviour’s cross, and take captive Zacharias, the holy patriarch of that city. Hereupon Phocas, falling into contempt with all men, but especially the senate, was deprived of his empire and life by Heraclius, general of the forces and governor of the provinces of Africa. Now also Caganus, King of the Avares, forcing his entrance through Pannonia and Illyricum into Italy, was so much too hard for the Lombards, that he was very near making himself master of the province itself, and through the treachery of Romilda, who was enamoured of him, he did actually take Friuli, and sacked it in such a manner that scarce any footsteps of it were left remaining. While things went thus in Italy, John, Bishop of Girone, proved a great defence to Christianity, both by his preaching and writings. He, being a Goth, born at Portugal, so soon as he came to the years of discretion travelled to Constantinople, and parted thence so well skilled in Greek and Latin learning that, at his return into Portugal, he was able easily to baffle the Arian heresy which very much prevailed there. For this reason he was by the heretics confined in Barcelona. But afterwards, upon the death of King Lemungildus, who countenanced those heretics, he came back into his own country, and both wrote very much concerning the Christian religion, and also founded a monastery, and prescribed rules of living, which the monks thereof were to guide themselves by. Eutropius, also Bishop of Valentia, was now by his learning and example very instrumental to keep the Spaniards sound in the faith. Moreover Columbanus, an abbot, a very holy man, by descent a Goth, coming first out of Scotland into Burgundy, built there the stately monastery of Luxeuil; and thence passing into Italy, built another fair one at Bobbio. Pope Boniface, that he might not be behindhand in this matter with either of them, converted his father’s house into a monastery, and gave his estate for the maintenance of the monks in it. But not long after he died, having been in the chair six years, eight months, 144 seventeen days, and was buried in the church of St Peter, in a time of dearth, pestilence, and great inundation of waters. By his death the see was vacant seven months, twenty-five days.

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Previous Pope:  68. Boniface III. 69. Boniface IV. Next Pope: 70. Deus-Dedit.

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