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St Adeodatus I (570 – 8 November 618), also called Deodatus I or Deusdedit, was the bishop of Rome from 19 October 615 to his death. Adeodatus was born in Rome, the son of a subdeacon named Stephen. He served as a priest for 40 years before his election and was the first priest to be elected pope since John II in 533. Almost nothing is known about the pontificate of Adeodatus I. According to tradition, Adeodatus was the first pope to use lead seals (bullae) on papal documents, which in time came to be called "papal bulls". One bulla dating from his reign is still preserved, the obverse of which represents the Good Shepherd in the midst of His sheep, with the letters Alpha and Omega underneath, while the reverse bears the inscription: Deusdedit Papæ. In August 618, an earthquake struck Rome, followed by an outbreak of scabies. Adeodatus died 8 November 618 and was eventually succeeded by Boniface V. His feast day is 8 November. He is also a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church as one of the pre-Schism "Orthodox Popes of Rome". St Zosimas year of his birth is unknown. According to the Liber pontificalis, Zosimus was of Greek origin whose family had settled on the east coast of the Italian peninsula in Mesoraca, Calabria. As is typical of this time, very little is known about the man until he rose to the Chair of Peter. He succeeded Pope St. Innocent I (r. 401-417) on March 18, 417. He devoted most of his brief reign to advancing the cause of papal supremacy, albeit with very little success. While personally blameless in his private life, Zosimus did have a tactless and hasty personality, so much so that he found himself embroiled in various clashes with prelates throughout the Church. In fact, he died while preparing to excommunicate a group of troublesome clerics. Zosimus wrote Episiola Thactaria, condemning Pelagianism (a Christian theological position that holds that the original sin did not taint human nature and that humans by divine grace have free will to achieve human perfection.) Since he was much disliked in Rome, his passing on 27 December 418 brought celebrations in the streets. His feast day is December 26. The two Saints (also Popes) who reigned in 5th and 7th centuries are commemorated in two stamps issued by the Vatican. St Adeodatus1 is commemorated with a €1,10 stamp on the 1,400th anniversary of his death. St Zosimo is honored on the 1,600th anniversary of his death with a €1,15 stamp. The stamps, issued in sheets of ten that contain a wide array of symbolism, were designed by artist Marina Richterova. Michael Lamothe collaborated with the artist for information about her designs. His article appeared in the 2nd quarter 2019 issue of Vatican Notes. You can view that article below. Reference: Creating Stamps for Obscure Popes: Sts Adeodatus and Zosimo Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1697 - 1698 Date Issued - 09 November 2018 Face Value - €1,10, €1,15 Perforations - 13x13.25 Printing Process - Offset Printer - Cartor (France) Max Printed - 60,000 |
| (Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 67 Issue: 379 Page: 4-7 en.wikipedia.org) |
