Boniface VI

Who he was

Boniface was a Roman, chosen by the Roman party amid popular unrest in 896 to succeed Formosus. He had twice before been suspended from his orders, once as a subdeacon and once as a priest.

What he is remembered for

He reigned only fifteen days. Some say he died of gout, others that he was forced out to make way for Stephen VI. A Roman council under John IX in 898 declared his election void, though the Church's list of popes still counts him.

Sources

• Catholic Encyclopedia (1907): Pope Boniface VI
• New Catholic Encyclopedia: Popes, List of (dates from the Annuario Pontificio 2001)