Pope Saint Zachary (15 March): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

Pope St. Zachary, honored on March 15 in the Roman Martyrology, was a holy and wise pontiff known for his meekness, charity, and defense of the Catholic faith. In this reading from Fr. Alban Butler’s Lives of the Saints, we learn about his remarkable leadership during a turbulent time in Italy. Before becoming pope in 741, Zachary already demonstrated heroic charity, risking his life to defend the people and clergy of Rome. As pope, he worked tirelessly for peace between rulers, negotiated with the Lombards, and restored lands to the Church. St. Zachary is also remembered for his strong moral leadership, condemning the slave trade when Venetian merchants attempted to sell Roman captives to Muslim markets in Africa. Instead, the saintly pope paid the price himself and granted the captives their freedom. His pontificate also shows the Church’s concern for doctrinal clarity. In correspondence with St. Boniface, Apostle of Germany, he addressed theological confusion and defended the unity of mankind descending from Adam and redeemed by Christ. Known for his devotion to the sacred liturgy, St. Zachary moved listeners to tears when celebrating the Divine Office and Mass. He also supported the poor, pilgrims, and the churches of Rome with generous foundations. This saintly pope died in 752 and remains a powerful example of humility, charity, justice, and faithful leadership in the Church. May the example of St. Zachary inspire us to defend truth, practice mercy, and serve Christ faithfully. 0:00 Introduction – St. Zachary (March 15) 0:25 Zachary becomes Pope in 741 0:34 His charity and love for the clergy and people of Rome 0:43 Political turmoil and rebellion in Italy 0:50 Restoration of Church lands by King Liutprand 0:58 The return of captives without ransom 1:06 The Lombards moved by Zachary’s devotion 1:14 Journey to Pavia and negotiations for peace 1:21 Reforming the discipline of the Church 1:28 St. Boniface writes concerning doctrinal errors 1:36 The controversy surrounding Virgil of Bavaria 1:51 Clarifying the theological issue about humanity and Adam 2:05 Examination of the doctrine in Rome 2:20 Virgil later becomes Bishop of Salzburg 2:29 Pope Zachary condemns the slave trade 2:35 He redeems slaves with his own money 2:42 Charity toward the poor and pilgrims 2:51 Support for lamps in St. Peter’s Basilica 3:00 Death of St. Zachary in 752 https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/march/st-zachary-pope/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 ▶ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #SaintZachary #CatholicSaints #LivesOfTheSaints #CatholicHistory #SaintOfTheDay #ChurchHistory #CatholicFaith #EarlyPopes #StBoniface #ChristianHistory