Editing Pope Boniface I (section)

==Election==
On the day of [[Pope Zosimus]]'s funeral, which was held at [[San Lorenzo fuori le Mura]], partisans of [[Eulalius]] occupied the [[Lateran]]. Later that day, Eulalius arrived, with a crowd consisting of deacons, laity, and a few priests, and was elected bishop. The new pope and his supporters remained at the church until Sunday, 29 December, for the formal ordination customarily took place on a Sunday.

Meanwhile, on the Saturday after the funeral, and of Eulalius' election, a majority of the priests of the Church elected Boniface, who had previously been a councilor of [[Pope Innocent I|Pope Innocent]].  He also was consecrated on 29 December, at the [[San Marcello al Corso|Church of Saint Marcellus]] in the [[Campus Martius]].

The [[Urban Prefect]] [[Aurelius Anicius Symmachus]] warned both parties to keep the peace and wrote to the Emperor [[Flavius Augustus Honorius|Honorius]] that Eulalius, who had been elected first and in due order, was in the right. The Emperor answered on 3 January 419, recognizing Eulalius as the rightful bishop of Rome. Despite these official acts, violence broke out between the two groups of supporters, and Boniface was seized by the Prefect's police and taken to a lodging outside the walls where he was detained under the surveillance of the Prefect's agents.<ref>Stewart Oost, ''Galla Placidia Augusta: A biographical essay'' (Chicago: University Press, 1968), pp. 156f</ref>

However, Boniface's partisans did not let the matter rest there and sent a petition to Emperor Honorius alleging irregularities in the election of Eulalius. In response, the Emperor suspended his previous order and summoned both parties to appear for judgment before him and certain Italian bishops on 8 February. This hearing then deferred the decision to a synod scheduled to meet at [[Spoleto]] on 13 June, but commanded both Boniface and Eulalius to stay out of Rome. Since Easter was approaching, the bishop of Spoleto, an outside party, was asked to celebrate the rites of this important holy day in Rome.<ref>Oost, ''Galla Placidia Augusta'', pp. 157f</ref>

Both Empress [[Galla Placidia]] and her husband [[Constantius III]] favored Eulalius, who had been elected first. And Stewart Oost observes that papal elections at the time were "still quite indefinite and both parties could thus with right claim proper election and consecration." Although Eulalius appeared to be destined to be confirmed to the post, he defied Honorius' order and entered Rome on 18 March — Easter Sunday that year fell on 30 March — thus losing the support of the authorities.

Symmachus sent his police to occupy the Lateran, where Eulalius had established himself, and removed him to a house outside the walls of Rome. Bishop Achilleus of Spoleto celebrated the Mass in the Lateran. The proposed Council of Spoleto was canceled, and on 3 April 419, Emperor Honorius recognized Boniface as the rightful pope.<ref>Oost, ''Galla Placidia Augusta'', pp. 158, 160f</ref>