Written by Guide Catholic
Pope St. Nicholas I the Great (105º): the Great — Complete Guide
Pontificate: 24 April 858 –13 November 867 · Origin: Rome, Estados Papais · Birth name: Nicolaus Primus
St. Nicholas I the Great was the 105th pope of the Catholic Church, reigning 24 April 858 –13 November 867 during the early medieval papacy. Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. The Catholic Church venerates him as a saint.
Who Was Pope Nicholas I the Great?
Among the 267 popes, Nicholas I the Great is number 105, remembered for the years 24 April 858 –13 November 867 in the early medieval papacy. Search interest often clusters around the Great. Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Use the sections below to move from a one-line summary of Nicholas I the Great to a usable historical and spiritual picture. Catholics also honor him as a saint whose intercession remains part of living devotion.
Early Life & Background
Before election he was known as Nicolaus. Born circa 800 Rome, Papal States, he entered a world shaped by politics and piety very different from today's global Church.
Historical Context
Nicholas I the Great (#undefined) reigned while Western Roman order fractured, new kingdoms rose, and missionaries carried Christianity across Europe under papal encouragement or correction.
Pontificate & Key Events
The pontificate (24 April 858 –13 November 867) centered on governance during the early medieval papacy. Feast day 13 November. Encouraged missionary activity.
Papal Acts & Achievements
Acts associated with Nicholas I the Great (#105, 24 April 858 –13 November 867) still draw historians and Catholics who want more than a one-line summary. His reign remains a link in the succession now counted at 267 popes.
Key Highlights
- 105th pope of the Catholic Church
- Pontificate: 24 April 858 –13 November 867
- Venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church
- Feast day 13 November.
Legacy in the Catholic Church
St. Nicholas I the Great remains pope 105º in the Annuario Pontificio. The Church still points to Nicholas I the Great's virtues for imitation. Set against the early medieval papacy, Nicholas I the Great's choices show both the limits of any one pontiff and the continuity of the office he held.
Why Catholics Study This Pope Today
Reading Nicholas I the Great as pope 105º (24 April 858 –13 November 867) is a way to study how Rome answered the crises of the early medieval papacy. Because the Church venerates Nicholas I the Great, you may seek his intercession and check his feast in the Martyrology or local calendar. Begin with this documented note: Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Then step back to the full list of 267 popes to see where Nicholas I the Great sits between crisis and consolidation.
Place in the Line of Succession
St. Nicholas I the Great followed Pope Benedict III (104º, 29 September 855 –17 April 858) after a transition shaped by the politics and piety of their shared century. He was followed by Pope Adrian II (106º, 14 December 867 –14 December 872), whose biography continues the chain on Guide Catholic. For the full chronological map, see our complete list of all 267 popes — then read neighboring biographies for contrast, not only continuity.