Editing Pope Vigilius (section)

==Early life==
Vigilius belonged to an aristocratic family from [[Rome]]; his father, John, is identified as a [[Roman consul|consul]] in the ''[[Liber pontificalis]]'', having received that title from the emperor in [[Constantinople]].<ref>Raymond Davis, translator, ''The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis)'' (Liverpool: University Press, 1989), p. 56</ref> According to [[Procopius]], his brother [[Reparatus (praetorian prefect)|Reparatus]] was one of the [[Roman Senate|senator]]s taken hostage by [[Witigis]], but managed to escape before the Ostrogothic king ordered their slaughter in 537.<ref>Procopius, ''De bello gothico'' I (V).26; translated by H.B. Dewing, ''Procopius'' (Cambridge: Loeb Classical Library, 1979), vol. 3 pp. 247f</ref>

Vigilius entered the service of the Church and was [[ordained]] a [[deacon]] in 531. That year, the Roman clergy agreed to a decree empowering the [[pope]] to determine the succession to the [[Holy See]], now considered invalid.<ref>Fanning, William (1911). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160408034115/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11456a.htm Papal Elections]. ''[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]''. Vol. 11. Robert Appleton Company. [[New York City|New York]]. Online transcript by Robert A. Orosco (31 August 2016). ''New Advent''. Knight, Kevin (editor). Archived on 8 April 2016. "It is commonly held also that he is prohibited from doing so by Divine law".</ref> Vigilius was chosen by [[Pope Boniface II]] as his successor and presented to the clergy assembled in [[Old St. Peter's Basilica]]. The opposition to such a procedure led Boniface in the following year to withdraw his designation of a successor and to burn the decree respecting it.<ref name="ce-vigilius" />

The successor of Boniface, [[Agapetus I]] (535–536), appointed Vigilius ''[[Papal apocrisiarius|apocrisiarius]]'' at [[Constantinople]]. [[Theodora (wife of Justinian I)|Empress Theodora]] sought to win him as a confederate to revenge the deposition of the [[Monophysite]] [[Patriarch Anthimus I of Constantinople]] by Agapetus and also to gain aid for her efforts in behalf of the Monophysites.<ref>Davis, ''The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis)'', p. 55</ref> Vigilius is said to have agreed to the plans of the intriguing empress who promised him the [[Holy See]] and 700 pounds of gold.<ref name="ce-vigilius" />