SISINNIUS.

708.

 

Emperor. Justinian II (restored), 705-711.

King. Aripert II, 700-712       

Exarch. Theophylact, 702-709.

 

All that we know of this Pope, who only reigned twenty days, can be told in a few words. A Syrian, and the son of one John, he was consecrated on January 15 (a Sunday), 708. So afflicted was he with the gout that he could not feed himself. Still, says his biographer, he was of firm mind, and had a care for the inhabitants of this city. Both these characteristics he displayed in the order which he gave to prepare lime for the restoration of the city walls. To this repairing of the walls he was doubtless moved, not merely by the nearer approach of the Lombards, but by fear of the rapidly-advancing power of the Saracens, and perhaps by a wish to strengthen the city against the arbitrary and often violent action of the emperors at Constantinople. Sudden death, however, prevented him from carrying out his design. From the simple words, “Qui et calcarias pro restauratione murorum jussit decoquere”, Dr. Hodgkin, in a style quite unworthy of the man himself and his work, takes occasion to remark, “An evil precedent truly. How many of that silent population of statues which once made beautiful the terraces of Rome have perished in these same papal lime­kilns?”. No matter how willing Sisinnius might have been to make the 0silent population0 defend the walls as well as the 0speaking population0 the fact is, as Dr. Hodgkin, himself quoting Gregorovius, observes in a note, the great general Belisarius had practically got all the military service possible out of the ‘silent population’, as his soldiers used them for various military purposes.

Sisinnius consecrated a bishop for Corsica, and was buried in St. Peter’s, February 4, 708.

Here one cannot but ask, Why were men in such a feeble state of health elected? Why was the city to be kept constantly in the state of excitement caused by elections? A healthy excitement indeed, if gratified at sufficiently remote intervals, but unhealthy if constant. For then either the excitement becomes feverish, or it plays itself out altogether; both which results are as injurious to states as to individuals. In the case of Sisinnius the answer to these queries may be, that the electors knew very well on the one hand that gout does not kill a man all at once; and on the other they may have had proof of the energy and strength of mind of their invalid candidate. The fact that Sisinnius at once made preparations to strengthen the city would serve to show that he could read the times, and that he foresaw the troubles which the Lombards and then the Saracens were soon to bring on Rome and the popes. It may be, then, that Sisinnius was elected simply because he was an able and proper person, and because there was no suspicion that the gout had obtained the hold on him that it proved to have done.

On the other hand, there are not wanting authors who assert that the sole ground of his election was that he was an Oriental. They point to the fact that from John V, who was a Syrian, to Pope Zachary, who was a Greek, there was only one Western Pope, the Roman Gregory II. These authors believe that this succession of Orientals was brought about by the machinations of the exarchs, in the interests of their masters. If, however, such were indeed the case, it only remains to point out that once again history shows us “man proposing but God disposing”; for these Oriental popes were very estimable men, a credit to the Papacy, and, as far as the records of history enable us to see, anything but creatures of the lords of Constantinople.

 

CONSTANTINE. AD. 708-715.