Written by Guide Catholic
Pope St. Simplicius (47º): Biography, Pontificate & Legacy
Pontificate: 3 March 468 –10 March 483 · Origin: Tívoli, Italy, Império Ocidental · Birth name: Simplicius
St. Simplicius was the 47th pope of the Catholic Church, reigning 3 March 468 –10 March 483 during the apostolic and patristic Church. Roman citizen, later a subject of the Kingdom of Italy. The Catholic Church venerates him as a saint.
Who Was Pope Simplicius?
Pope Simplicius — 47º in the Catholic list — reigned 3 March 468 –10 March 483 during the apostolic and patristic Church. Roman citizen, later a subject of the Kingdom of Italy. This Guide Catholic profile gathers background, major acts, and legacy so you can read Simplicius beside neighboring pontiffs. Catholics also honor him as a saint whose intercession remains part of living devotion.
Early Life & Background
Born Tibur, Italy, Western Roman Empire, Kingdom of Odoacer, he entered a world shaped by politics and piety very different from today's global Church.
Historical Context
Simplicius (#undefined) shepherded Christians when the faith was still illegal or barely tolerated inside the Roman Empire; records are thin, yet tradition preserves these earliest successors of St. Peter.
Pontificate & Key Events
The pontificate (3 March 468 –10 March 483) centered on governance during the apostolic and patristic Church. Pope during the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and subsequent overtaking of Rome and Italy in general by King Odoacer.
Papal Acts & Achievements
Acts associated with Simplicius (#47, 3 March 468 –10 March 483) 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
- 47th pope of the Catholic Church
- Pontificate: 3 March 468 –10 March 483
- Venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church
- Shepherded the Church during the apostolic and patristic Church
- Successor of St. Peter in the official Catholic list
Legacy in the Catholic Church
St. Simplicius remains pope 47º in the Annuario Pontificio. The Church still points to Simplicius's virtues for imitation. Set against the apostolic and patristic Church, Simplicius'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 Simplicius as pope 47º (3 March 468 –10 March 483) is a way to study how Rome answered the crises of the apostolic and patristic Church. Because the Church venerates Simplicius, you may seek his intercession and check his feast in the Martyrology or local calendar. Begin with this documented note: Roman citizen, later a subject of the Kingdom of Italy. Then step back to the full list of 267 popes to see where Simplicius sits between crisis and consolidation.
Place in the Line of Succession
St. Simplicius followed Pope St. Hilarius (46º, 19 November 461 –29 February 468) after a transition shaped by the politics and piety of their shared century. He was followed by Pope St. Felix III (48º, 13 March 483 –1 March 492), 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.