St. John I

Pope St. John I became Pope in 523 and served until his death in 526. Despite being sickly, he was elected Pope and took on a challenging period in the church. The Ostrogoth King, King Theodoric, sent John to the Emperor of Constantinople to sort out how to bring back former Arians into the Catholic Church. Pope John I asked that people who once believed in Arianism be treated with respect but to ultimately be corrected. King Theodoric, who was an Arian, was not pleased with Pope John I’s handling of the situation, so he had him killed. Because John was steadfast in defending the truths of the faith, even to death, he is recognized as a martyr.