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Saint Zacharias (or Zachary), pope (741-752), from
a Greek family of Calabria, appears to have been
on intimate terms with Pope Gregory III|Gregory
III, whom he succeeded (November 741).

Zacharias was a wise and subtle
diplomacy|diplomat. Finding that his predecessor's
alliance with the Lombardy|Lombard Duke of Spoleto
was not protecting Papal cities against the
Lombards|Lombard king, Zacharias turned to
Liutprand the Lombard|Liutprand directly.
Contemporary history (Liber pontificalis) dwells
chiefly on Zacharias' great personal influence
with Liutprand, and with his successor Ratchis; it
was largely through his tact in dealing with these
princes in a variety of emergencies that the
exarchate of Ravenna was rescued from becoming a
Lombard duchy. 

A correspondence, of considerable extent, and
great interest, between Zacharias and Saint
Boniface, the apostle of Germany, survives, and
shows how great was the influence of this pope on
events then passing in France and Germany; he
encouraged the deposition of the last
Merovingians|Merovingian king of the Franks,
Childeric III, and it was with his sanction that
Boniface crowned Pippin III|Pepin the Short as
king of the Franks at Soissons in 752. Zacharias
is stated to have remonstrated with the Byzantine
Empire|Byzantine emperor Constantine VII
Porphyrogenitos on the part he had taken in the
Iconoclasm|iconoclastic controversy. He died March
14, 752, and was succeeded by Pope Stephen
II|Stephen II.

The letters and decrees of Zacharias are published
in Jacques Paul Migne, Patrologia Latina|Patrolog.
lat. lxxxix. p. 917-960.

==External link==
*http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15743b.htm
Catholic Encyclopedia: "Pope st. Zachary"

Pope|
Predecessor=Pope Gregory III|Saint Gregory III|
Successor=Pope Stephen II|Stephen
II|Dates=741–752

1911