Pope Donus II

An image supposedly depicting Donus II, taken from *Effigies pontificum romanorum Dominici Basae* published in the late 1500s

Pope Donus II is an apocryphal Pope that allegedly held the title briefly between Benedict VI and Benedict VII during the 970s. The creation is likely due to papal catalogues accidentally confusing the title domnus for a proper name caused by the later addition of some antipopes into papal listings. Despite his fictitious record, the Pope had been praised for honorable conduct.

Creation

Donus II was likley invented by later papal catalogues that listed him between Benedict VI and Benedict VII. Benedict VI was was likley listed prior to the phrase Domnus de Sutri, as he had been the Bishop of Sutri. Later editions had added antipope Boniface VII and his years of reign into the same timeline directly after the mention of Benedict VI, which would have listed Domnus de Sutr independently alongside the year 974, which had been previously accredited to Benedict VI. Later renditions would have read the phrase as the name of a Pope, and then shortened the phrase to just Domnus, giving the impression of a Pope Domnus (also written as Domnus, Donus, or Bonus) who held the title in 974.^[1] He was given the prefix of II as a Pope Donus already had held position between 676 and 678.^[2]

False history

Despite his accidental creation, egregious accounts of Donus II have been recorded. A book by Alexis-François Artaud de Montor states that he was Roman, elected in 972 due to involvement by the counts of Tusculum, governed for three months with, "great integrity," died on 19 December 972, and interned at the Vatican.^[3] Other specifics of his alleged reign vary, such as being between 5 April 974 and October 975, or that he was, "never charged with any injustice or dishonourable action."^[4]^[5] Regardless of the dates of his Papacy, no contemporary sources mention Donus II nor are records of any of his acts as Pope recorded.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Mann, Horace K. (Horace Kinder); Hollnsteiner, Johannes (1902). The lives of the popes in the early middle ages. London, K. Paul, Trench, Trübner, & co., ltd. pp. 312–313.
^ "Donus | Roman Catholic, Bishop, Italy | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2025-04-07. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
^ Artaud de Montor, Alexis François (1911). The lives and times of the popes : including the complete gallery of the portraits of the pontiffs reproduced from "Effigies pontificum romanorum Dominici Basae": being a series of volumes giving the history of the world during the Christian era, retranslated, rev. and written up to date from Les vies des papes. Kelly - University of Toronto. New York : The Catholic Publication Society of America.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
^ Darras, Joseph Épiphane; Spalding, M. J. (Martin John); White, Charles I. (Charles Ignatius) (1865–1866). A general history of the Catholic church : from the commencement of the Christian era until the present time. Regis - University of Toronto. New York : P. O'Shea. p. 590.
^ Miles, George (1898). The bishops of Lindisfarne, Hexham, Chester-le-Street, and Durham, A.D. 635-1020. Being an introduction to the ecclesiastical history of Northumbria;. University of California Libraries. London : W. Gardner, Darton & co. p. 298.

[:0-1] Mann, Horace K. (Horace Kinder); Hollnsteiner, Johannes (1902). The lives of the popes in the early middle ages. London, K. Paul, Trench, Trübner, & co., ltd. pp. 312–313.

[2] "Donus | Roman Catholic, Bishop, Italy | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2025-04-07. Retrieved 2025-04-29.

[3] Artaud de Montor, Alexis François (1911). The lives and times of the popes : including the complete gallery of the portraits of the pontiffs reproduced from "Effigies pontificum romanorum Dominici Basae": being a series of volumes giving the history of the world during the Christian era, retranslated, rev. and written up to date from Les vies des papes. Kelly - University of Toronto. New York : The Catholic Publication Society of America.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

[4] Darras, Joseph Épiphane; Spalding, M. J. (Martin John); White, Charles I. (Charles Ignatius) (1865–1866). A general history of the Catholic church : from the commencement of the Christian era until the present time. Regis - University of Toronto. New York : P. O'Shea. p. 590.

[5] Miles, George (1898). The bishops of Lindisfarne, Hexham, Chester-le-Street, and Durham, A.D. 635-1020. Being an introduction to the ecclesiastical history of Northumbria;. University of California Libraries. London : W. Gardner, Darton & co. p. 298.

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