# Of Some Who Attained Possession Of The Roman Chair Through Secular Power And Other Ungodly Means.

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There is, moreover, mention made of another
kind of popes, who attained possession of the Roman
chair, not properly through themselves, inasmuch
as they were too weak, but through the power
of princes and potentates, yea, even through the
Arians. Among these are particularly numbered
the two popes named Felix, both of whom were
exalted to papal dignity, and put in their office by
Arian Kings, who ruled Italy, and, consequently,
also the city of Rome; the one by Constantius,[56](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-6/#Footnote_56) the
other by Theodoric, both of whom belonged to the
Arian sect. Caes. Bar. Ann. 526. num. 2.

But quite the contrary happened when pope Silverius
was reputed to favor the Goths, who sided
with the Arians. Prince Belizarius deposed him,
and sent him away into Greece, putting Vigilius in
his stead as pope. According to the testimony of
Procopius. Ann. 538. num. 2.

After Vigilius, Pelagius was declared pope by two
bishops only, and one from Ostien,[57](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-6/#Footnote_57) through the
favor and assistance of the emperor Justinian; notwithstanding,
as Anastasius says, the bad suspicion
of having caused the death of the previous Pope
Vigilius, rested on him; for which reason none of
the other ecclesiastics, nay, not even the laity,
would have communion or anything to do with
him. Ann. 555. num. 2.



## Original source

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