POPE STEPHEN VIII
128TH Pope (939-942)

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Pope Stephen (VIII) IX, date of birth unknown; he became pope about 14 July, 939, and died about the end of Oct., 942. Despite the contrary assertions of late writers, there is no doubt that Stephen was a Roman and cardinal-priest of SS. Silvester and Martin. He supported the declining Carlovingian dynasty, and by threat of excommunication forced the nobles to be faithful to the Frankish King Louis IV d'Outre-Mer. Throughout the whole of his pontificate he was subject to Alberic, Prince of the Romans, and so had little opportunity of distinguishing himself.

Liber Pontificalis, II, 244; privileges, P. L., CXXXII; FRODOARD, Annals; MANN, Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, IV (London, 1910), 212 sq.

HORACE K. MANN.