Marinus II was another one of Prince Alberic's candidates for
the papacy and another good man. Marinus was a Roman. At the time of his
election to the papacy he was the priest of the Church of St. Ciriacus. He was
elected Pope in October, 942.
Like all of Alberic's popes, Marinus got along well with the
dictator, and seemingly allowed him to run the Papal States without any attempt
at interference. In spiritual matters, Marinus worked to promote good order and
discipline among the clergy and granted privileges to monasteries. He continued
the legation of Frederick, archbishop of Mainz, in Germany. Frederick had been
appointed by Pope Leo VII as papal vicar for all Germany with full power to root
out abuses among the clergy.
In Italy Pope Marinus protected the Benedictine monks from a
greedy bishop. Sicus, bishop of Capua, took from the monks a church which an
earlier bishop of Capua had given them. Sicus then gave the church as a benefice
to a deacon who seems to have been a boon companion of the bishop. When Marinus
got word of this, he not only ordered Bishop Sicus to restore the church to the
monks, but he forbade him to associate any longer with the deacon. Though not
too much is known about Marinus II, what is known indicates that he was a
spiritual man, a man with a strong sense of responsibility for the Church, and a
lover of the poor. It is said that St. Ulric, famous archbishop of Augsburg,
came to Rome at this time and had a visit with Pope Marinus II. Marinus II died
in the spring of 946.
Excerpted from "Popes
Through the Ages" by Joseph Brusher, S.J.
