Theodore I

About Theodore I

Theodore I was born in Jerusalem and became pope in 642. His birth date is unknown.

He was consecrated on 24 November 642. The Holy See's directory also prints an October date without explaining its meaning.

He opposed the teaching that Christ had only one will and urged the emperor to withdraw the Ecthesis. His dealings with Constantinople involved both doctrine and the lawful appointment of its patriarch.

Theodore received the former patriarch Pyrrhus after his recantation, but their reconciliation did not last. Later accounts require caution: scholars dispute whether Theodore formally condemned Patriarch Paul. His death also preceded the council convened under his successor Martin. The suggestion that he left Jerusalem to escape invasion remains a hypothesis, not a documented itinerary. His appointment of Stephen of Dor as a representative in Palestine likewise records delegated work, not Theodore's own journey there.

His work was not confined to theological disputes. The Lateran basilica credits him and John IV with the chapel of San Venanzio. Newly baptized Christians received confirmation there before joining the Eucharistic procession. The chapel's mosaic includes Theodore among the figures gathered around Christ and the praying Virgin.

He died in 649 and was buried at Saint Peter's on 14 May. The burial date should not automatically be treated as a precisely established death date.

Apostoliki Diakonia commemorates him on 18 May.

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