Pope Anastasius II

Born in Rome to a priest, Anastasius became bishop of Rome on 24 November 496. His papacy centered on efforts to end the Acacian schism, the rift between Rome and Constantinople. Those attempts backfired: his conciliatory approach toward the East triggered fierce opposition in Rome itself, setting the stage for the Laurentian schism that erupted after his death. He died on 19 November 498, two years into the job, and was buried in St. Peter's Basilica. The Catholic Church never canonized him — a fate he shares with only one other pope from the first five hundred years, Liberius.