Donus

Donus · 676 – 678

Repaved the atrium of St. Peter's and reconciled the church of Ravenna with Rome after a brief schism.

Donus was a Roman, the son of a man named Maurisius. His short pontificate is remembered for two practical accomplishments: he resolved the schism of the church of Ravenna, which had claimed independence from Rome, and he undertook restoration work at St. Peter's Basilica, paving the atrium with white marble. He also suppressed a community of Syrian monks in Rome who were spreading Nestorian teaching.

Fixing What Needed Fixing

Donus was pope for less than two years and spent his time on practical matters: bringing Ravenna back into line, cleaning up heterodox monks, and making St. Peter's look better. He did not reshape the Church, but he left it in slightly better shape than he found it.