Pope Boniface III (Latin: Bonifatius III; died 12 November 607) was the bishop of Rome from 19 February 607 to his death. Despite his short pontificate, he significant contributions to the Catholic Church.
Boniface III made two changes to papal selections. The first was a decree forbidding anyone during the lifetime of a pope to discuss the appointment of his successor under pain of excommunication. The second change established that no steps could be taken to provide for a papal successor until three days after a pope's burial. This suggests that he was serious in his desire to keep papal elections free.
Boniface's other notable act was to seek and obtain a decree from Emperor Phocas which restated that "the See of Blessed Peter the Apostle should be the head of all the Churches". This ensured that the title of "universal bishop" belonged exclusively to the bishop of Rome. Wikipedia
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.
