Conon
Conon · 686 – 687
An elderly compromise candidate whose brief, troubled pontificate was marked by poor appointments and power struggles.
Conon was the son of a soldier from Thrace, raised in Sicily, and educated in the clergy of Rome. He was elected as a compromise when the clergy and military factions in Rome could not agree on a candidate. Old and simple in manner, he proved easy to manipulate. He made poor appointments, including granting the rector of the papal patrimony in Sicily unusual powers. His pontificate lasted less than a year, and the contested election that followed his death produced an ugly schism.
A Well-Meaning Failure
Conon was probably a decent man who was in over his head. Chosen because nobody could agree on anyone stronger, he let others take advantage of him. The chaos that followed his death showed what happens when the Church elects for convenience rather than competence.