Who he was
Symmachus was a Sardinian, son of Fortunatus according to the Liber Pontificalis; he was baptised in Rome and became a deacon of the Roman Church. On the day he was elected by the majority, a minority chose the archpriest Laurentius, and King Theodoric of the Ostrogoths ruled in favour of Symmachus.
What he is remembered for
His reign was dominated by the Laurentian schism: his opponents brought charges against him, and a synod of 502 declared that it could not sit in judgement on the pope and left him free of the charges; the division in Rome lasted until about 506. He supported the bishops of the East who resisted the emperor's religious policy, gave St Caesarius of Arles the pallium (the first known grant to a bishop outside Italy), helped the persecuted Church in Africa, and built or restored several Roman churches and hostels for the poor.
He is honoured by the Church as Saint. Read his page in the dictionary of saints.
Sources
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