Honorius I, born in Campania around 585 and died in Rome on October 12, 638, was pope from 625 to 638. His pontificate was marked by significant efforts to Christianize Anglo-Saxon England. Notably, he sent Bishop Birinus to evangelize the kingdom of Wessex and encouraged the conversion of the Celts to the Roman liturgy and the Roman calculation of the date of Easter. He also worked to restore Christian structures in Rome, such as the Basilica of Saint Agnes Outside the Walls.
Honorius I is also known for his correspondence with Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople regarding Monothelitism, a doctrine asserting that Christ has only one will. In a letter from 635, Honorius argued that discussions about the energies of Christ should cease to preserve the unity of the Church, stating that Jesus did not have two conflicting wills but one will, since he did not assume the fallen human nature tainted by Adam's sin.
After his death, at the Third Council of Constantinople in 681, Honorius was condemned for heresy because of his position on Monothelitism. This posthumous condemnation sparked many controversies, especially concerning the question of papal infallibility.
