Birthplace
Blera (Bieda), near Viterbo, Italy
Pope from
13 September 604
Pope until
22 February 606
Died
22 February 606
Who he was
Sabinian (Sabinianus), son of Bonus, was born at Blera near Viterbo. St Gregory the Great sent him as his envoy to Constantinople in 593, though he did not fully meet Gregory's hopes there, and he came home in 597. He was chosen to succeed Gregory but had to wait some months for the emperor's confirmation before his consecration, probably in September 604.
What he is remembered for
His short reign was troubled by fear of the Lombards and by famine. He opened the Church's granaries and sold corn to the people at a fixed price, and because he did not give it away, later legends unfairly painted him as a miser. He is said to have given back to the secular clergy posts that Gregory had given to monks.
Sources
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