Pope Pelagius I
Pope Pelagius I (died 3 March 561) was the bishop of Rome from 556 to his death. A former apocrisiarius to Constantinople, Pelagius I was elected pope as the candidate of Emperor Justinian I, a designation not well received in the Western Church. Before his papacy, he opposed Justinian's efforts to condemn the "Three Chapters" in order to reconcile theological factions within the Church, but later adopted Justinian's position. Family and early career Pelagius was born into a noble family from Rome. His father, John, seems to have been vicar of one of the two civil districts into which Italy was then divided. Pelagius accompanied Pope Agapetus I to Constantinople and was appointed apocrisiarius. As such, Pelagius acquired great influence with Emperor Justinian I. He returned to Rome in 543. In 545, when Pope Vigilius went to Constantinople on Justinian's orders, Pelagius stayed in Rome as the pope's representative. Totila, king of the Goths, had begun to blockade the city. Pelagius poured out his own fortune for the benefit of the famine-stricken people, and tried to induce the king to grant a truce. Though he failed, he afterwards induced Totila to spare the lives of the people when he captured