Nicolas Ier (pope)

Nicolas Ier known as Large the , born, 105e Pope of the April 24th 858 with its death, in Rome, the November 13rd 867.

Resulting from a modest family, it begins her career with the palate of Lateran, with the service of the pope. Under the pontificate of Leon IV (847 - 855), it is ordered sub-deacon. With died of Benoit III (855 - 858), he is elected pope thanks to the support of the emperor Louis II.

During its pontificate, it is essential like patriarch of Occident. It prohibits to the Breton princes to transform Dol into archbishop's palace, recalls to the métropolites its authority on them and affirms its primacy on the archbishop of Ravenne. In the East, it is involved in the conflict between the partisans of new the patriarch of Constantinople, Photios I {{er}} and the partisans of old, Ignace, deposited by Michel III and the césar Bardas. When Boris, prince of the Bulgarian , converts with Christianity, Nicolas Ier, taking the opposite course to the policy of Photios, sends bishops to help it to constitute his Church. In its Letter with Bulgarian the , it clarifies the principal divergences between the two Churches. In reaction, Photios convenes into 867 a synod which excommunicates Nicolas Ist.

It has the appearance of an moral authority: for this reason, Charles the Bald person requires his arbitration when his/her brother Louis Germanic the invades France, just as at the time of the revolt of its sons Louis and Charles. Nicolas Ier also intervenes in the divorce of Lothaire II, king de Lotharingie: this one, not having been able to have descent of his Theutberge wife, had repudiated it with the profit of its mistress, Walrade. The pope excommunicates the archbishops of Trier and Cologne, which had cancelled the first marriage and resists even the attacks armed with Louis II, brother of Lothaire.

As of his death, Nicolas Ier is regarded as one of the large popes of the time. Réginon de Prüm, at the 11th century, writes about it in its Chronique of year 868: “Since the happy Gregoire, no bishop raised in the town of Rome on the pontifical see cannot be to him compared. ” It is registered with the Roman Martyrologe and its worship is attested since the 14th century.

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