Nicholas the Great

Article abstract: Nicholas strengthened the power of the Papacy by actively promoting the primacy of the Holy See in all Church matters and in secular cases of moral consequence.

Early Life

Nicholas the Great was born to a noble family in Rome shortly before or after the year 820. His father was Theodorius, a man of great learning, who served as a regionary notary and worked for Pope Leo IV. No facts are extant about Nicholas’ mother. As a youngster, Nicholas was serious, intelligent, and eager to learn, traits he inherited from his father and which...

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