Martin I
7th‑century pope and martyr, bishop of Rome (649–655), exiled for opposing Monothelitism, venerated as a saint in Catholic and Orthodox Churches
Feast: 13 April (current Roman calendar, optional memorial) · 12 November (1962 Missal, III class)
Who they were
Martin was born at Todi in Umbria and had served as a priest in Constantinople. Elected Pope in 649 without waiting for the emperor's consent, he understood what lay behind Monothelitism, the teaching that Christ had only one, divine, will, which the emperors were imposing: it denied Christ's true humanity.
He condemned the heresy, and the emperor had him seized, taken to Constantinople, condemned and exiled to Cherson in the Crimea. From there he wrote: 'The Lord is near; what have I to worry about?' He died there on 16 September 655. Not far away St Maximus the Confessor was imprisoned, his hand cut off and his tongue cut out; the two never met.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: Martin is venerated as a martyr by the Roman Church and by the Greek and Slav Churches.
Why that counted as sanctity
Martin defended the full truth about Christ, true God and true man with a truly human will, against the emperor himself, and died in exile for it, trusting only in God.
Connected on this site
- Amantius of Wintershoven Saint“Amantius was a deacon who, according to the late and untrustworthy life of St Landoald, went with Landoald and others when Pope St Martin I sent them to help St Amand in his mission in what are now Belgium and Holland.” — this site's research
- Eugene I Saint“He was chosen to become Pope after the deposition and banishment of Martin I by Emperor Constans II over the dispute about Monothelitism.” — Wikipedia
- Landoald Saint“It makes him a priest of the Roman church, of a Lombard family, chosen by Pope St Martin I to go with St Amand on his mission in what are now Belgium and Holland, together with the deacon Amantius and others.” — this site's research
- Maximus the Confessor Saint“Not far away St Maximus the Confessor was imprisoned, his hand cut off and his tongue cut out; the two never met.” — this site's research
- Vinciane de Wintershoven Saint“Vindiciana is named in the late and untrustworthy life of St Landoald as Landoald's sister, one of the party sent by Pope St Martin I to help St Amand in his mission in what are now Belgium and Holland.” — this site's research
- Vatican News - Saint of the day (Italian): Pope Martin I
- Santi e Beati — San Martino I, papa e martire († Chersonesus 655), festa 13 aprile — Pope 649-655, who condemned Monothelitism at the Lateran Council of 649 and died in exile in the Crimea — the last pope honoured as a martyr. In the General Roman Calendar at 13 April, the entry's feast; also in Nominis
- Wikidata Q172390 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Pope Martin I (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.