Gelasius, << juh LAY shee uhs, >> I, Saint ( ? -496), was elected pope in 492. He is most famous for a letter he wrote in 494 to the Byzantine emperor Anastasius I. In the letter, the pope set forth the relationship between spiritual authority and secular (nonreligious) power. Gelasius wrote that priests and kings ordinarily have separate areas of action and ought not to interfere with one another. However, if a conflict should arise between, for example, a pope and an emperor, then the pope must have the last word because, as a priest, he is concerned with immortal souls and not just mortal bodies. Gelasius’s letter was based on an earlier dispute with the emperor over the emperor’s right to make theological pronouncements. The letter stated Gelasius’s belief that the power of the popes was superior to that of secular rulers.
Gelasius was probably born in Rome. He was of North African descent. He was especially concerned about the poor and often contributed to their welfare. He died on Nov. 19, 496.
