Boniface II

Boniface II (* Rome, - † Rome, October 17, 532) was the 55th pope of the Catholic Church from 530 to 532.

Although born in Rome, he was Ostrogothic by birth, making him the first pope of Germanic origin thanks to the support of the Gothic king Athalaric.

Designated by Felix IV as his successor through an edict, upon his death a part of the clergy, respecting the will of the deceased, elected him pontiff on September 22, 530, while the majority faction of said clergy opposed his his choice and chose Dioscurus as pope. The possible schism in the Church was aborted when Dióscuro died twenty-two days after his appointment.

Obsessed by the possibility that after his death there would be a double papal election that would lead to a schism, he called a council in which he granted himself the prerogative of choosing his own successor, appointing the deacon Vigilio as such. However, the opposition he encountered to this procedure and which led the Roman Senate itself to accuse the Pope of abuse of power, caused Boniface to retract and thus his chosen one did not accede to the papal chair upon his death, although he would do so later.

Boniface died on October 17, 532.