List of the
cardinals attested in the contemporary sources during the period of
pornocracy (904–964) and later until the election of
Pope John XV in August 985. It certainly contains only small part of all cardinals living at that time, because only a small number of documents and other accounts useful for the reconstruction of that list have been preserved to our times.
The dates in the parentheses mark the first and last time when the cardinal appears in the sources.
Cardinal-bishops
Hildebrandus – cardinal-bishop of Silva Candida (23 May 905[1])
Leo – cardinal-bishop of Palestrina (925[2] – 2 February 933[3])
Benedictus – cardinal-bishop of Silva Candida (29 May 939[4] – 4 February 943[5])
Leo – cardinal-bishop of Velletri (9 January 946[6] – November 963[7])
Constantinus – cardinal-bishop of Porto (May 958[8])
Sico – cardinal-bishop of Ostia (November 963[7] – excommunicated on 28 February 964[9])
Benedictus – cardinal-bishop of Porto (November 963[7] – 26 May 969[10])
Lunisso – cardinal-bishop of Labico (November 963[7] – 2 January 968[11])
Gregorius – cardinal-bishop of Albano (November 963[7] – April 983[12])
Teophylactus – cardinal-bishop of Palestrina (November 963[7])
Wido – cardinal-bishop of Silva Candida (November 963[7] – 29 December 975[13])
Leo – cardinal-bishop of Ostia (2 January 968[11] – April 983[12])
Note:
diocese of Sabina became a
suburbicarian see only in 1063. Although some of its bishops in the 10th century are known by name, they should not be included in the list of cardinals.[14]
Cardinal-priests
Leo – cardinal-priest of S. Susanna,[15] later
Pope Leo VI (June 928 – December 928)
Stephanus – cardinal-priest of S. Anastasia,[15] later Pope
Stephen VII (December 928 – February 931)
Johannes – cardinal-priest of S. Maria in Trastevere,[15] later
Pope John XI (March 931 – January 936)
Leo – cardinal-priest of S. Sisto,[15] later
Pope Leo VII (3 January 936 – 13 July 939)
Stephanus – cardinal-priest of SS. Silvestro e Martino,[15] later Pope
Stephen VIII (14 July 939 – October 942)
Marinus – cardinal-priest of S. Ciriaco,[15] later Pope
Marinus II (30 October 942 – May 946)
Stephanus – cardinal-priest of SS. Nereo ed Achilleo (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Leo – cardinal-priest of S. Balbina (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Dominicus – cardinal-priest of S. Anastasia (November 963[7] – 26 May 969[10])
Petrus – cardinal-priest of S. Lorenzo in Damaso (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Theophylactus – cardinal-priest of S. Crisogono (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Joannes – cardinal-priest of S. Susanna (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Petrus – cardinal-priest of SS. Giovanni e Paolo (November 963[7])
Hadrianus – cardinal-priest of S. Maria in Trastevere (November 963[7])
Joannes – cardinal-priest of S. Cecilia (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Hadrianus – cardinal-priest of S. Lorenzo in Lucina (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Benedictus – cardinal-priest of S. Sisto (November 963[7] – 25 December 968[16])
Theophylactus – cardinal-priest of SS. IV Coronati (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Stephanus – cardinal-priest of S. Sabina (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Joannes – cardinal-priest of SS. Silvestro e Martino (February 964[9])
Crescentius – cardinal-priest[17] (26 May 969[10])
Theophylactus – cardinal-priest[18] (26 May 969[10])
Joannes – cardinal-priest of S. Vitale,[15] later Pope
John XV (August 985 – March 996)
Cardinal-deacons
Octavianus – cardinal-deacon of S. Maria in Domnica,[15] later
Pope John XII (16 December 955 – 14 May 964)
Joannes – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church (960[19] – November 963[7])
Joannes – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church,[20] later bishop of Narni (8 August 961[21] – 1 October 965) and
Pope John XIII (1 October 965 – 6 September 972)
Benedictus – cardinal-deacon and archdeacon of the Holy Roman Church (November 963[7] – 26 May 969[10])
Bonofilius – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church (November 963[7] – February 964[9])
Benedictus Grammaticus – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church (February 964[9] – 22 May 964), later
Pope Benedict V (22 May 964 – 23 June 964, d. 4 July 966)
Leo – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church (26 May 969[10])
Bonifatius – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church (26 May 969[10])
Benedictus – cardinal-deacon of S. Teodoro,[15] later
Pope Benedict VI (19 January 973 – June 974)
Bonifatius Franco – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church,[22] later
Antipope Boniface VII (June 974 – 20 July 985)
Stephanus – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church (975[23])
Joannes – cardinal-deacon and archdeacon of the Holy Roman Church (7 March 982[24])
Joannes – cardinal-deacon of the Holy Roman Church (April 983[12])
"Presumed cardinals"
Numerous writers from the 16th century onwards, including
Alphonsus Ciacconius (1540–1599),
Lorenzo Cardella etc. have mentioned several other cardinals ostensibly created during this period,[25] which, however, for various reasons should be either eliminated from that list or classified as dubious ("presumed cardinals").[26] They can be divided in four subsequent categories.
Authentic persons, whose cardinalate is not proven
Note: in some cases it is possible that the promotion really took place; however, there is no evidence to ascertain it:
Cardinal-deacon and primicerius created by Sergius III (904–911); relative of Pope Leo V
Statement almost certainly resulted from a confusion. Primicerius Christophorus was father of Pope Leo VI (not Leo V) and is attested in several documents issued by Pope John VIII in 876; there is no evidence that he was later promoted to the cardinalate and even that he was still alive under Pope Sergius III[33]
Bishop of Pavia and cardinal created before 981, elected
Pope John XIV (983–984)
He was bishop of Pavia from at least 972, but neither the Sigeric's catalogue[15] nor the other contemporary accounts make any reference to his cardinalate[37]
Hadamar, O.S.B., abbot of Fulda (927–956) [27][38]
Cardinal-priest created in 946
There exist numerous papal privileges for the abbots of Fulda in the 10th century, though some of them are falsehoods. However, none of them make any reference to the cardinalate of these abbots[39]
Werinhar, O.S.B., abbot of Fulda (968–982) [27][40]
Cardinal created by Benedict VII
Cardinals not attested in the contemporary sources
The following cardinals allegedly promoted in 10th century up to date have not been identified in the published documents from the Roman registers:[41][42]
Bonifazio, of the counts of Tusculum,[27][43] bishop of Sutri and cardinal under pope Marinus II (942–946)[44]
Pietro,[27] cardinal-priest of S. Lorenzo in Damaso in 946
Giovanni,[27] of the counts of Tusculum, cardinal priest in 956
Giovanni,[27] cardinal-priest of Ss. XII Apostoli in 964
Giuliano,[27] cardinal-priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli in 972
Fictitious individuals
Two cardinals, ostensibly elected to the papacy, are fictitious persons which owe their existence an onomastic confusion[45]
Donus[27] cardinal deacon ca. 972, elected pope Donus II in December 973 and died in March 974
Giovanni,[27] cardinal created by Benedict VII, elected Pope John XV in August 985, died without having been consecrated
They both are not listed in the official series of Popes in
Annuario Pontificio.
Cardinals known only from the false documents
Some documents which bear the subscriptions of the cardinals have been recognized as falsehoods and although some authors unaware of this fact used them as sources for the reconstruction of the catalogue of cardinals in the 10th century, they are useless for this purpose:
Privilege of
Emperor Otto I for Theobald de Martinengo of Brescia dated 6 October 968 (it mentions as living person pope Anastasius III, who died in 913)[50]
Eustachius, cardinal-bishop of Albano
Dondatus, cardinal-bishop of Ostia
Belenatus, cardinal-priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli.
Faustinus, cardinal-priest of S. Petri.
Bull of
Benedict VI in favor of the bishop of Tivoli dated 21 December 973[51]
Joannes, cardinal-bishop of Labico (Frascati)
Bull of Benedict VII in favor of abbot Leo of San Rofillo in Forlimpopoli dated 20/22 August 980.[52]
^Jaffè, p. 458. The bull of 21 January 944, which also bears the signature of this cardinal, is a falsehood, see Regesta Imperii. Abt. II, Bd. 5 no. 177
^E. Stevenson, Documenti dell'archivio della cattedrale di Velletri, (in:) Archivio della Società romana di storia patria, vol. 12, 1889, p. 73
^Hans Walter Klewitz: Reformpapsttum und Kardinalkolleg, Hermann Gentner Verlag Darmstadt, 1957, p. 24-35.
^
abcdefghijklThe
Sigeric's catalogue of the popes (written in 990), edited in W. Stubbs: Memorials of Saint Dunstan, London 1874, p. 391 note 1. It contains the names of the popes elected between 914 and 985 and mentions the titular churches of those of them, who had been cardinals.
^Gesta archiepscoporum Magdeburgensium, MGH SS XIV, p. 382
^His titular church is not known. Perhaps he is the same as Theophylactus of SS. IV Coronati or Theophylactus of S. Crisogono (both attested in 963–964)
^Gerhard Schwartz: Die Besetzung der Bistümern Reichsitaliens unter den sächsischen und salischen Kaisern mit den Listen der Bischöfe 951-1122, Verlag von B. G. Teubner in Leipzig und Berlin 1913, p. 284-285.
^P. Fedele: Tabularium S. Mariae Novae, (in:) Archivio della Società romana di storia patria, 23 (1900), p. 181-182; cf. Rudolf Hüls: Kardinäle, Klerus und Kirchen Roms: 1049–1130, Bibliothek des Deutschen Historischen Instituts in Rom, Max Niemeyer Verlag, Tübingen 1977, p. 20.
^Full list, that included both authentic and dubious names, on
The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church by Salvador Miranda. For this period Miranda's list relies almost completely on the catalogue of the cardinals of the 10th century in Annuaire Pontifical Catholic, 1926, which is based mainly on Ciacconius' work titled Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificum Romanorum, ed. A. Oldoini, Rome 1677).
^About the "presumed cardinals" in general see A. Paravicini Bagliani: Cardinali di curia e "familiae" cardinalizie dal 1227 al 1254, Padova 1972, p. 519 ff. and Elfriede Kartusch, Das Kardinalskollegium in der Zeit von 1181-1227, Wien 1948, p. 428-438. About the numerous errors made by the early historians of the College of Cardinals see also; Johannes M. Brixius, Die Mitglieder des Kardinalkollegiums von 1130-1181, Berlin 1912, passim; and Werner Maleczek, Papst und Kardinalskolleg von 1191 bis 1216, Wien 1984, passim
^Mann, p. 188; Regesta Imperii. Abt. II. Bd. 5 no. 90 note. Primicerius was always in the rank of subdeacon, not a cardinal: Werner Maleczek, Papst und Kardinalskolleg von 1191 bis 1216, Wien 1984, p. 250 note 301.
P. Fedele: Tabularium S. Mariae Novae, (in:) Archivio della Società romana di storia patria, vol. 23 (1900), p. 171 ff.
P. Fedele: Tabularium S.Prassede, (in:) Archivio della Società romana di storia patria, vol. 27 (1904), p. 27 ff.
P. Fedele: Carte del monastero dei Ss. Cosma e Damiano in mica aurea, (in:) Archivio della Società romana di storia patria, vol. 21 (1898), p. 459 ff.
V. Federici: Regesto del monastero dei S. Silvestro in Capite, (in:) Archivio della Società romana di storia patria, vol. 22 (1899), p. 213 ff.
L. Schiapparelli: Le carte antiche dell'archivio Capitolare di S. Pietro in Vaticano, (in:) Archivio della Società romana di storia patria, vol. 24 (1901), p. 393 ff.
^Authors which affirm their promotions to the cardinalate do not mention any documentary proofs for it; therefore, it is hard to identify and to examine the primary sources for these statements.
^Apparently a chronological error that resulted from a confusion of pope Marinus II (942–946) with his namesake Marinus I (882–884). Bishop Boniface occupied the see of Sutri in 882, under Pope Marinus I, but in 940s no bishop with this name is attested in this diocese, see Pius B. Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae catholicae, Leipzig 1931, p. 729; cf. Schwartz, p. 263
^Full text in Watterich, I, p. 681-682; cf. Regesta Imperii. Abt. II. Bd. 5 no. 352; the names of the cardinal-bishops have been taken from the documents of Roman council in 869.
Memorials of Saint Dunstan, ed. W. Stubbs, London 1874
Johannes Watterich: Pontificum romanorum Vita, vol. I, Leipzig 1862
Schwartz, Gerhard (1913). Die Besetzung der Bistümern Reichsitaliens unter den sächsischen und salischen Kaisern mit den Listen der Bischöfe 951–1122 (in German). Verlag von B. G. Teubner in Leipzig und Berlin.
Lorenzo Cardella, Memorie Storiche de' Cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, vol. I, pt. 1, Rome 1792