Pope Saint Vitalian

Pope Vitalian is believed to have been born September 27, 580,  near Rome, little else is known of his early life.  He was consecrated as pope on July 30, 657.  He did several things in his fifteen years as pope. Vitalian tried to restore the connection with Eastern Church at Constantinople by sending a friendly letter to Emperor Constans II.  The emperor agreed Vaitalia was the Holy See and head of the Church in the West.  He sent to Rome a book of the Gospels in a cover of gold richly ornamented with precious stones as a gift.  Vitalian returned the kindness toward Constans when he came to Rome in 663 to spend twelve days there.

He was able to bring disagreeing parties together over the date of Easter with the Catholic Church in England.  He appointed a new archbishop of Canterbury, Theodore of Tarsus.  Vitalian was a fair judge, too.  Bishop John of Lappa, Greece, was illegally dismissed by his archbishop.  John appealed to Pope Vitalian.  John was thrown into jail for asking the pope to intervene.  Pope Vitalian asked a group of clergy to hear the case.  They found John innocent.  Pope Vitalian wrote the archbishop commanding him to reinstate John, and quit dismissing good bishops. 
Vitalian died on January 27, 672. The introduction of church organ music is traditionally believed to date from the time of Vitalian’s papacy