The clergy and people of Rome had yielded to the wish of Theodoric and
elected Felix, but there was great dissatisfaction with the quite
irregular, though well-meant, attempt of Felix to appoint his own
successor. When Felix died, the majority of the clergy and people refused
to accept his nominee, the archdeacon Boniface, and elected instead the
clever diplomat Dioscorus, a Greek from Alexandria. Dioscorus had served
the papacy brilliantly on important missions. He was consecrated in the
Lateran Basilica while Boniface had to be contented with the Julian
Basilica. With two claimants consecrated, it looked as if Rome was in for a
bad time; but in less than a month Dioscorus was dead. His followers wisely
chose to submit to Boniface. Boniface made them anathematize the memory of
Dioscorus and agree that he had the right to appoint his successor.
Boniface, though a Roman himself, was the son of Sigisbald, a fact of some
interest because it is the first German name connected with a pope. At
first he seemed to proceed with rather a high hand. Not only did he compel
the Roman clergy and people to recognize his right to appoint his
successor, but he soon summoned a synod in St. Peter's and announced that
he had appointed the deacon Vigilius to succeed him and to be the next
pope. The people took it quietly, but soon resentment was sweeping Rome
at this highhanded procedure. When Boniface realized that the city was
seething with dissatisfaction, he did a big thing. He summoned another
synod to St. Peter's and this time he announced that he had been wrong in
seeking to appoint his successor. Then in the presence of the clergy he
burned the decree appointing Vigilius the next pope.
Excerpted from "Popes
Through the Ages" by Joseph Brusher, S.J.
