Pope John VII
Pope John VII was the bishop of Rome from March 1, 705, to October 18, 707. He was born around 650 in Rossano, Calabria, and was an ethnic Greek. His father, Plato, was a Byzantine official who looked after the Palatine Hill, and his mother was Blatta. John VII was the first pope whose father held a Byzantine post.
He became pope after John VI and had better relations with the Lombards, who ruled much of Italy, than with the Byzantine Emperor Justinian II. Relations with Byzantium were strained after the Quinisext Council of 692, and John VII did not approve all of its canons, which made him controversial. The Liber Pontificalis criticized him for not signing them.
John VII died on October 18, 707, and was buried in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. Peter’s. He was succeeded by Sisinnius.
Several monuments are linked to him: the Santa Maria Antiqua church at the foot of the Palatine Hill, and the Oratory of John VII in Old St. Peter’s Basilica dedicated to Mary. Fragments of his mosaic work can be found in the Vatican Grottoes, and the Madonna della Clemenza icon in Santa Maria in Trastevere is believed to have been commissioned during his papacy. He also helped restore the monastery of Subiaco, which had been destroyed by the Lombards.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:34 (CET).