Benedict III
Benedict · 855 – 858
A reluctant pope who governed Rome during continued Saracen threats and resisted imperial interference.
Benedict III was a learned Roman clergyman who was elected pope in 855 despite his own protests. An antipope, Anastasius, briefly seized the Lateran with imperial backing, but the Roman clergy and people demanded Benedict. He continued Leo IV's work of rebuilding after the Saracen raids and maintained papal independence from Carolingian pressure.
Why He Matters
Benedict III's contested election and eventual vindication showed that the Roman Church could resist political manipulation. His story also historically disproves the legend of 'Pope Joan,' since there was no gap in the papacy at this time.