Editing Pope Sabinian (section)

==Pontificate==
Sabinian was [[papal selection before 1059|elected]] to succeed Gregory probably in March 604, but had to wait for [[Byzantine papacy|imperial ratification]] before being [[episcopal consecration|consecrated]] in September.<ref name="Attwater"/> During his pontificate, Sabinian was seen as a counterfoil to Gregory I. The ''Liber pontificalis'' praises him for "filling the church with clergy", in contrast to Gregory, who tended to fill ecclesiastical positions with monks.<ref name="ce"/><ref name="Attwater"/>

Sabinian incurred unpopularity by his unseasonable economies,<ref name=EB1911>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Sabinianus |volume=23 |page=966}}</ref> although the ''[[Liber pontificalis]]'' states that he distributed grain during a famine at Rome under his pontificate. Whereas Gregory distributed grain to the Roman populace as invasion loomed, when the danger had passed Sabinian sold it to them. Because he was unable or unwilling to allow the people to have the grain for little or nothing, there grew up in later times a number of legends in which his predecessor was represented punishing him for avarice. Sabinian died 22 February 606. His funeral procession through the city had to change course to avoid hostile Romans.<ref>[http://www.spirituality.org/is/198/pope_65.asp "The 65th Pope", ''Spirituality.org'', Diocese of Bridgeport]</ref>

[[Onofrio Panvinio]], in his 1557 ''Epitome pontificum Romanorum'', attributes to Sabinian the introduction of the custom of ringing [[bell (instrument)|bell]]s at the [[canonical hours]] and the celebration of the [[Eucharist]],<ref name=EB1911/> hence expressions such as ''o'clock'' (Latin ''clocca'': a bell). The first attribution of this was in [[Guillaume Durand]]'s thirteenth-century ''Rationale Divinorum Officiorum''.<ref name="ce"/>