Editing Pope Eugene I (section)

==Pontificate==
As pope, Eugene consecrated twenty-one bishops for different parts of the world and received the youthful [[Wilfrid]] on the occasion of his first visit to Rome (c. 654).{{sfn|Mann|1909}}

Eugene I showed greater deference than his predecessor to the emperor's wishes and made no public stand against the [[Monothelitism]] of the [[patriarchs of Constantinople]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} One of the first acts of the new pope was to send [[papal legate|legates]] to Constantinople with letters to Emperor Constans II informing him of his election and professing his faith. The legates were deceived, or bribed, and brought back a synodical letter from [[Patriarch Peter of Constantinople]] (656–666), while the emperor's envoy, who accompanied them, brought offerings for [[Saint Peter]] and a request from the emperor that the pope would enter into communion with the patriarch of Constantinople. Peter's letter proved to be written in a difficult and obscure style and avoided making any specific declaration as to the number of "wills or operations" in [[Christ]]. When its contents were read to the clergy and people in the church of [[St. Mary Major]] in 656, they not only rejected the letter with indignation, but would not allow the pope to leave the basilica until he had promised that he would not on any account accept it.{{sfn|Mann|1909}}

The imperial officials were furious at this harsh rejection of the wishes of the emperor and patriarch.{{sfn|Mann|1909}} Constans threatened to dispose of Eugene just as he had disposed of Martin,{{sfn|Attwater|1939|p=72}} but was preoccupied by defending the empire from the [[Early Muslim conquests|Muslim conquests]].{{sfn|Mann|1909}}