Pope Saint Gelasius I

Gelasius was born in Rome of African heritage and served as pope from 492 to 496, after working closely with his predecessor Felix III. In a famous letter to the Emperor Anastasius he explained that the world is guided by two powers, the authority of bishops and the power of rulers, and that the Church must be free in spiritual matters. He worked hard to heal divisions, fought the Pelagian heresy and opposed the pagan Lupercalia festival in Rome. Though strict in doctrine, he was so generous that he was remembered as "a lover of the poor."

Many prayers in an ancient Roman book of Masses, the Gelasian Sacramentary, were traditionally linked to his name. He is one of three early popes of African origin, with Saints Victor I and Miltiades.