Silverius, Saint

Silverius, Saint

(sĭlvēr`ēəs), d. 537, pope (536–37), an Italian; successor of St. Agapetus I. The son of Pope Hormisdas, who had been married before taking orders, St. Silverius was elected pope at the instance of the Ostrogothic king, Theodahad, although VigiliusVigilius
, pope (537–55), a Roman; successor of St. Silverius. Empress Theodora exiled Silverius and made Vigilius pope in the expectation that he would compromise with the Monophysites. After Silverius' death Vigilius' pontificate was legalized.
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, as Agapetus' deacon, was the logical candidate. Failing to win Silverius over to MonophysitismMonophysitism
[Gr.,=belief in a single nature], a heresy of the 5th and 6th cent., which grew out of a reaction against Nestorianism. It was anticipated by Apollinarianism and was continuous with the principles of Eutyches, whose doctrine had been rejected in 451 at Chalcedon
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, Empress TheodoraTheodora
, d. 548, Byzantine empress. Information about her early career comes from the often-questionable source, the Secret History of Procopius. It appears that she was the daughter of an animal trainer in the circus, and that she was an actress and prostitute before
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 intrigued to make Vigilius pope. On a trumped-up charge of treason, Pope Silverius was sent into exile; Vigilius was declared pope, and Silverius died shortly afterward. He is believed to have been murdered. Feast: June 20.