venerated canonized_by death_date feast_day created_cardinal_by birth_date term_end death_place image_size term_start image name cardinal predecessor birth_place type successor canonized_date article_title
roman catholic church pope adrian ii 867 11 13 y 13 november pope leo iv c. 800 13 november 867 rome 220px 24 april 858 pope nicholas i.jpg nicholas i 853 benedict iii rome pope adrian ii 8 may 868 pope nicholas i

pope nicholas i

pope saint nicholas i -lrb- ; c. 800 -- 13 november 867 -rrb- , also called saint nicholas the great , was pope from 24 april 858 to his death in 867 .
he is remembered as a consolidator of papal authority and power , exerting decisive influence upon the historical development of the papacy and its position among the christian nations of western europe .
nicholas i asserted that the pope should have suzerain authority over all christians , even royalty , in matters of faith and morals .
he is venerated as a saint in the roman catholic church , with a feast day on 13 november .
he refused to grant an annulment to king lothair ii of lotharingia from teutberga so that lothair could marry his mistress waldrada .
when a council pronounced in favor of annulment , nicholas i declared the council to be deposed , its messengers excommunicated , and its decisions void .
despite pressure from the carolingians , who laid siege to rome , his decision held .
during his reign , relations with the byzantine empire soured over his support for ignatius , patriarch of constantinople , who had been removed from his post in favor of photius .
