Biography
Pope Adeodatus I
About Pope Adeodatus I
The Holy See lists Deusdedit, also styled Adeodatus I, as the 68th pope. His pontificate began on October 19, 615, and ended on November 8, 618; the Vatican biography gives Rome as his birthplace. The Italian Biographical Dictionary likewise calls him Adeodato I, also known as Deusdedit, and says he had served as a priest for about forty years before election. The sources consulted do not establish his birth year.The Catholic Encyclopedia says he encouraged the Roman clergy, who were impoverished during political trouble, and personally helped people during an earthquake and a severe outbreak of disease. Treccani also notes his support for the secular clergy. These summaries provide a limited outline of his pastoral work; they do not support the more dramatic healing story also reported in later accounts as verified fact. His feast is November 8, and no exact birth date is known.
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