Picture: Artaud de Montor (1772–1849) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Gelasius I
Bishop of Rome from 492 to 496
SaintResearchedDate unknown
Feast: 21 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
410
Died
19 November 496
verified
Beatified
—
not on record
Canonised
—
not on record
Who they were
Gelasius, born at Rome, served his predecessor Felix in drafting Church documents and was elected pope on 1 March 492.
He showed great strength in refusing any peace with Constantinople that would compromise the rights of the See of Peter, despite the emperor's threats. He died at Rome on 19 November 496.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A pope of firm faith who defended the freedom of the Church.
Connected on this site
- Opilius of Piacenza Saint Brother or sister
- Felix III Saint“Some scholars have argued that his predecessor Felix III may have employed him to draft papal documents, although this is not certain.” — Wikipedia
- Paul of Thebes Saint“He was canonized in 491 by Pope Gelasius I, and is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Oriental Orthodox Churches.” — Wikipedia
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Pope St. Gelasius I
- Wikidata Q162135 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Pope Gelasius I (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.