Due to Pope Sylvester II's reintroduction of the abacus with very useful modifications, it became widely used in Europe once again during the 11th century

From the 980s, Gerbert of Aurillac ( later, Pope Sylvester II ) used his position to spread knowledge of the numerals in Europe.

In September 1044 the opposition forced him out of the city again and elected John, Bishop of Sabina, as Pope Sylvester III.

In 1046, he accompanied King Henry III on his campaign to Italy and in December, participated in the Council of Sutri, which deposed former Popes Benedict IX and Sylvester III and persuaded Pope Gregory VI to resign.

John, Bishop of Sabina, had been hailed as Pope Sylvester III by the faction of the nobility that had driven Benedict IX from Rome in 1044, and had then installed him in his place.

Pope Sylvester III, né Giovanni dei Crescenzi – Ottaviani ( died 1062 or 1063 ), born in Rome, was Pope for a short time in 1045.

Though some consider him to have been an antipope, Sylvester III continues to be listed as an official Pope ( 1045 ) in Vatican lists.

* James A. Sheppard, " Sylvester III, Pope ," New Catholic Encyclopedia ( Detroit 2003 ) 13: 659.

His ashes had been removed to the Church of Saint Sylvester in the Campus Martius and were discovered on 17 November 1595 when Pope Clement VIII rebuilt that church.

Pope Sylvester II ( or Silvester II ) ( c. 946 – 12 May 1003 ), born Gerbert d ' Aurillac ( Gerbert of Aurillac ), was a prolific scholar, teacher, and Pope.

Statue of Pope Sylvester II in Aurillac, Auvergne, France.

Gerbert took the name of Sylvester II, alluding to Pope Sylvester I ( 314 – 335 ), the advisor to Emperor Constantine I ( 324 – 337 ).

Soon after he was elected Pope, Sylvester II confirmed the position of his former rival Arnulf as archbishop of Rheims.

Pope Sylvester II and the Devil in an illustration of c. 1460. Gerbert was accused by his enemies of having studied magical arts and astrology at the Islamic cities of Córdoba and Seville and even at the University of Al Karaouine in Morocco.

The inscription on Gerbert's tomb reads in part Iste locus Silvestris membra sepulti venturo Domino conferet ad sonitum (" This place, at the advent of the Lord, will yield to the sound the last trumpet the buried members of Sylvester II ", mis-read as " will make a sound ") has given rise to the curious legend that his bones will rattle in that tomb just before the death of a Pope.

* Kropf, Lewis L. " Pope Sylvester II and Stephen I of Hungary ," The English Historical Review ( Volume 13, Number 50, 1898 ): 290 – 295.

The diplomatic service of the Holy See can be traced back to the First Council of Nicaea when Pope Sylvester I sent legates to represent him during the discussions of the council.

According to Walter Mapes in De Nugis Curialium ( Trifles of Courtiers ), Pope Sylvester II ( 999 – 1003 ) was involved with a succubus named Meridiana, who helped him achieve his high rank in the Catholic Church.

* Sylvester II, Pope, a French astronomer, mathematician, orator, musician, and philosopher.

The Armillary sphere # History | spherical astrolabe, long employed in medieval Islamic astronomy, was introduced to Europe by Gerbert d ' Aurillac, later Pope Sylvester II.

* 1003 – Pope Sylvester II, born Gerbert d ' Aurillac, dies ; however, his teaching continued to influence those of the 11th century ; his works included a book on arithmetic, a study of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, a hydraulic-powered organ, the reintroduction of the abacus to Europe, and a possible treatise on the astrolabe that was edited by Hermann of Reichenau five decades later.

In 355 Constantius became the sole Emperor and extended his pro-Arian policy toward the western provinces, frequently using force to push through his creed, even exiling Pope Liberius and installing Antipope Felix II.

Ozanam was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

# REDIRECT Pope Adrian II

* Pope Adrian II ( 792 – 872 )

" On his arrival in Rome, however, charges of simony, or the buying of ecclesiastical office, and lack of learning were brought against him, and his elevation to York was refused by Pope Nicholas II, who also deposed him from Worcester.

Only the death of Stephen, the great hospodar of Moldavia, enabled Poland still to hold her own on the Danube River ; while the liberality of Pope Julius II, who issued no fewer than 29 bulls in favor of Poland and granted Alexander Peter's Pence and other financial help, enabled him to restrain somewhat the arrogance of the Teutonic Order.

Alexander was named after Pope Alexander II.

* Pope Alexander II, Pope from 1061 to 1073

In 1095 his ambassadors appeared before Pope Urban II at the Council of Piacenza.

In 1143, he wrote to Pope Innocent II to declare himself and the kingdom servants of the Church, swearing to pursue driving the Moors out of the Iberian Peninsula.

After being excommunicated for his audacities by Pope Honorius III, Afonso II promised to make amends to the church, but he died in 1223 before making any serious attempts to do so.

Pope Innocent IV then ordered Sancho II to be removed from the throne and be replaced by the Count of Boulogne.

The intervention of Pope Calixtus II brought about an arrangement between the old man and his young namesake.

* Pope Anastasius II

* Pope Anastasius II – Pope 496 – 498

At the Council of Clermont in 1095, Adhemar showed great zeal for the crusade ( there is evidence Urban II had conferred with Adhemar before the council ) and having been named apostolic legate and appointed to lead the crusade by Pope Urban II, he accompanied Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, to the east.

When at last successful, he was excommunicated by Pope Callixtus II for having expelled the monks of Saint-Gilles, who had aided his enemies.

* 2005 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church following the death of Pope John Paul II.

* 1149 – Pope Eugene III takes refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum.

* 1509 – Pope Julius II places the Italian state of Venice under interdict.