Pope John I

John I. († May 18 526 in Ravenna, Italy) was dated 13 August 523 until his death, Bishop of Rome ( Pope ).

He came from Tuscany ( Siena or the Castello di Serena, near Chiusdino ) and was at the time of his choice already old and frail.

Against his protest he was sent 525 by the Arian king of the Ostrogoths, Theodoric the Great, after Constantine Opel to conduct negotiations with Emperor Justin I and his Caesar Justinian on an imperial decree of 523, which was directed against the Arians. As the first pope, he visited so Ostrom. Theodoric threatened that, should fail John's mission, there would be reprisals against Catholics in Italy.

In Constantinople, John Opel was received with almost royal honors. He celebrated mass in the presence of the emperor and put Justin then the crown on his head: In worship the Eastern Roman Emperor used to be bare-headed, and normally it came to the Patriarch of Constantinople to Opel, to crown it again immediately afterwards; but Justin left this honor demonstratively the Pope. In matters of Decree 523, the emperor was willing to negotiate.

When John to Ravenna, Theodoric capital returned, let this arrest the Pope with the accusation that he had conspired with the Emperor Justin against the Ostrogoths. He was held in Ravenna, where he died soon due to poor treatment.

His body was transferred to Rome and buried there in the Basilica of Saint Peter.

In Christian art of John I. is represented as looking through the bars of a prison, with a deacon and sub- deacon. He is especially revered in Ravenna and Tuscany as a saint. The price offered Memorial Day is May 18, day of his death.