Pope Valentine

Valentine was a Roman nobleman in an era when that background determined more than piety. He had been unusually close to Pope Eugene II, close enough to fuel speculation that Eugene was his father, or perhaps his lover. In 827, after Eugene's death, Valentine was elected by the nobility — a pattern that would harden into custom. He became bishop of Rome before completing the usual clerical steps; ordination as a priest came after his elevation. He ruled the Papal States for two months. On 10 October 827, he died.