Not much is known about St. Adeodatus I’s early life or his time prior to being pope. He was elected amidst turmoil in Italy, taking office on October 19, 615. He was well known as a man of “charity and zeal,” given his care for those afflicted by a great earthquake and by an outbreak of leprosy in the area. Adeodatus also dealt with fallout from even more political rebellions, at one point welcoming the imperial general to Rome from Constantinople, probably while humming “Why Can’t We Be Friends” quietly to himself. Adeodatus reigned for just over three years, dying on what’s now his feast day, November 8.

St. Adeodatus was best known for being the first pope to use leaden seals on his pontifical documents, called bullae in Latin. This is where the term “papal bull” comes from, since the seals were initially used to show that a document was authentically from the pope. In fact, a seal from Adeodatus’ reign is still preserved. It depicts the Good Shepherd among a flock of sheep and the letters Alpha and Omega underneath, while the opposite side reads the inscription Deusdedit Papae. 

Fun fact: Both “Adeodatus” and “Deusdedit” bear similar meanings, hence the confusion with what to call Pope #68. “Adeodatus” means given by God, while “Deusdedit” means God has given. As a result, both are now considered variations on the same name.

In 616, Aethelbert of Kent, the first Christian Anglo-Saxon king, died in England after reigning 26 years. He’s actually now known as Saint Aethelbert, having been highly esteemed for establishing Christianity among the Anglo-Saxon people. His feast day is February 25.