Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/490

 JOHN

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JOHN

A careful examination convinced John of the ortho- doxy of Methodius, who was sent back to Moravia with permission to use the Slavonic tongue in the lit- urgy. By the pope's help the saint overcame all opposition, and continued his work of conversion till his death (6 April, 885). One result of John's work among the Slavs was that several of their tribes placed themselves under the protection of the Holy See. John also had much communication with the Eastern Slavs of Bulgaria. He strove to bring them back again under the direct jurisdiction of the Holy See. Papal rights in that country had been usurped by the patriarchs of Constantinople, and, though their faith and his, as John told the Bulgarian king Boris, were the same, he justly feared that their pronene.ss to heresy and schism would ultimately lead the Bulgari- ans into both. But the Bulgarians gave no lasting heed to the exhortations of the pope, and what he fore- told them would happen actually came to pass. When Basil the Macedonian mounted the throne of Con- stantinople, he restored St. Ignatius to his see, and banished the usurper Photius (867). During his ban- ishment, however, adroit flattery enabled the exile to win the emperor's favour, and, on the death of St. Ignatius (877), he was acknowledged as his successor. He then spared no pains to induce John to communi- cate with him. This at length he agreed to do on certain conditions. But, as Photius failed to observe them, he was solemnly condemned by the pope (881).

Louis II, though not even master of Italy, bore at this time the title of Emperor of the Romans. To him, as a prince of character, John gave his support. He entleavoured to induce C!harles the Bald, King of France, to yield up to him the kingdom of Lothaire; he aided him in his efforts against the Saracens, and, after his death (875), strove to comfort his widow Engelberga. When Louis II died, John's support of Charles the Bald resulted in his receiving the imperial crown (25 Dec, 875), and in the discomfiture of his rivals. Charles was not ungrateful for the pope's as- sistance, and not only decreed that the Roman Church, as head of all the Churches, must be obeyed by all, but in 870 waived in John's behalf many of " the rights and customs of the empire". John, however, did not obtain much practical help from him. Charles was a man who attempted to do great things, but knew not how to adapt his means to the ends he had in view. He did at last, however, come to help John against the Saracens, who distressed him throughout the whole of his pontificate. His expedition was, however, a failure, and, before he could renew his attempt, he died (6 Oct., 877). Among the candi- dates for the vacant imperial throne, John thought that the only suitable one was Boso, soon to be King of Provence. But Boso would not move in the mat- ter, so that at length the pope, setting aside the claims of Carloman on the ground of his ill-licnlth which had force<l him to entrust the care "of the Kingdom of Italy" to John himself, fixed upon C!harlcs the Pat as the imperial successor of Charles the Bald, success- fully established his candidate on the imperial throne, and crowned him in Feliruary, SSI.

Before John died, Charles had become in name, at least, the recognized sovereign of most of the states over which (Charlemagne had held sway. But he was physically and mentally unfit for liis jiosition; yet John was in great need of help. From tlic first year of his reign to the last, he was harassed liy the Saracens, and was worried by the unpatriotic cnniluct of some of the princes of Southern Italy, by inlrig\ies at home, and by the encroaxjhraents of (iuido II, Duke of Spoleto. In 840, colonies of Saracens had l)egun to establish them- selves in South Italy. John had to write " that all our coasts have Ijeen |)lundercd, and the Saracens are as much at home in I'midi and Terracina as in Africa". To make head ag.iinsf tlicse terrible enemies of Chris- tianity John spared not his person, his time^ nor ^lis

money. He never ceased striving to stir up the em- perors to take a high view of their position and re- sponsibilities, to put aside their miserable ambitions, and to take the field against the unrelenting foes of their faith and country. By conferences with the petty princes of Southern Italy, and by gifts of money to them, he endeavoured to detach them from alliance with the Saracens, or to unite them in battle against them. But he was not content with urging others to take action against them. He himself assumed the duties both of a general and an admiral. He fortified St. Paul's Outside-the- Walls, where his works were so extensive that they deserved to be called after his name " Johannipolis". The new fortification was over two miles in circumference. To guard the "city of the old dotard Petei ", as the Saracens contemptu- ously called Rome, John himself patrolled the coast. He overtook the pirate fleet of the Saracens off the promontory of Circe, and was completely victori- ous over them (876). But knowing they were but scotched, he implored the emperor to help him to make his victory of permanent value. Charles the Bald was not unwilling to help, but died (877) before he could effect anything. John had therefore to goon fighting single-handed against the Saracens till his death.

During the whole period of his pontificate, John was troubled almost as much by enemies in and around Rome as he was by the Saracens. When he mounted the throne of Peter, he found many of the chief offices of the Church in the hands of disreputable nobles, most of them connected with one another, and with a numl^er of women who were as bad as themselves. Among the former were Gregory, the primicerius of the Roman Church, a shameless peculator; his brother Stephen, the secundicerius, as deep in crime as himself, and his infamous son-in-law, the murderer and adulterer, Cieorge of the Aventine. Allied with these, by crime at least, were Sergius and Constantiana. With some of these men, Formosus, Bishop of Porto, had the misfortune to be linked liy some ties of friend- ship. The death of the Emperor Louis II (August, 875), who had been a patron of some of this nefarious clitiue, left John more at liberty to deal with them. When he began to proceed against them, they suc- ceeded for a time in avoiding appearing before him. Meanwhile they hatched plots agamst him, and sought to obtain the aid of the Saracens. Finding at last that the pope was too strong for them, they fled from the city, carrying with them the treasures of the Church. Unfortunately for his reputation, Formosus fled with them. Failing to appear for trial, the exiles were degraded and excommunicated. When in France, whither Formosus had fled, John caused the sentence passed against Gregory and his party to be repeated, and insisted on Formosus's signing a declaration that he would never return to Piome (878). John had not gone to France altogether of his own free will. Acting ostensibly in the interests of Carloman of Bavaria, who was aspiring to the empire, Lambert, Duke of Spoleto, put all the pressure he could on the pope, constantly harrying his territory (S7). At length he seized Uonie itself (S7S). rnal>le to endure the persecution of this petty tyrant, and anxious at the same time to come into i)ers(inal contact with the different candi- dates for the imperiai throne, vacant since the death of Cliarles tlic Bald (6 Oct., N77), John went to France. While there he crowned Louis as king (Sept., 878), but was unable to effect anything in the way of obtaining a suitable candidate for the empire.

John's action was not confined to Italy, Germany, and France. In Spain we find him constituting Oviedo a metropolitan see. By his influence, also, a law against sacrilege was added to the (iothic Code of Spain. John received in Home Burhred (Burg- ra'd). King of Mercia, whom the miseries which the Panes were causing (hroughoul laigland h.'id driven