Who he was
Pelagius was apparently a native of Rome, of Gothic descent: his father was called Winigild. He was elected while the Lombards were besieging the city and consecrated in November 579 without waiting for the emperor's approval. His chief helper was the deacon Gregory, later Pope Gregory the Great, whom he sent as his envoy to Constantinople.
What he is remembered for
He sought help against the Lombards from both the emperor and the Franks, and wrote at length to the bishops of Istria to try to end their schism over the Three Chapters. He promoted clerical celibacy, protested against the Patriarch of Constantinople's title of 'ecumenical', turned his house into a hospital for the poor and rebuilt the church of San Lorenzo. He died in the plague of 590.
Sources
All popes · Home · All saints