Key Facts
 Other names Pope Zacharias, Zacharias son of Polichronius
 Born  
 Location  Calabria, Italy
Bloodline  
Married  
Children  
Position Pope (741-752)
Died March 752


  Background
  Zacharias son of Polichronius
  Most probably he was a deacon of the Roman Church and as such signed the decrees of the Roman council of 732; and was on intimate terms with Gregory III, whom he succeeded in December 10, 741.
 

Zachary was a wise and subtle diplomat. Finding that his predecessor's alliance with the Lombard Duke of Spoleto was not protecting Papal cities against the Lombard king, Zachary turned to Liutprand directly. Contemporary history (Liber pontificalis) dwells chiefly on Zachary's great personal influence with Liutprand, and with his successor Ratchis; his tact in dealing with these princes in a variety of emergencies contributed to save the exarchate of Ravenna from the Lombard attacks.
  Zachary built the original church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva over an ancient temple to Minerva near Pantheon. He also restored the Lateran Palace, moving the relic of the head of Saint George to the church of San Giorgio al Velabro.
   
   
  Most Evil Crimes
 
 List of most evil crimes
Type Year Crime
751 CE Of publishing false documents/statements
That Pope Zachary, also known as St. Zachary in full knowledge of the unlawful act, did delivery commission the forgery of a letter written in pure gold upon fine vellum alleging it to be from St. Peter saying the following::

Peter, elected Apostle by Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. I, Peter, summoned to the apostolate by Christ, Son of the Living God, has received from the Divine Might the mission of enlightening the whole world...

Wherefore, all those who, having heard my preaching, put it into practice, must believe absolutely that by God's order their sins are cleansed in this world and they shall enter stainless into everlasting life Come ye to the aid of the Roman people, which has been entrusted to me by God. And I, on the day of Judgment, shall prepare for you a splendid dwelling place in the Kingdom of God.

Signed, Peter, Prince of the Apostles

That this letter was deliverately intended to deceive the court of the Franks to influence the election of Pepin and furthermore to secure the ownership of the lands under his control upon his death.
751 CE Of publishing false documents/statements
That Pope Zacharias did falsely acknowledge the authority of Pepin the Short as the ruler of the Franks over the bloodlines of the Merovingian kings who preceded him by claiming they were but illegitimate figureheads.
751 CE Of moral indecency and depravity for the purpose of extortion and deceptionThat Pope Zachary did commission a chair built of fine timber and then did claim it to be the very chair upon which St. Peter did sit when alleged Bishop of Rome. That this fraud was done with deliberate calculation to deceive the Franks and all Christians into believing its authenticity.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   

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