Diplomat to the East Born at
Gallese, Marinus was the son of a priest. He would become an expert on relations with the Eastern church, starting this path when he assisted as subdeacon the welcome of ambassadors of emperor Michael III in 860. He was ordained as a deacon by
Pope Nicholas I and then sent in 866 to Constantinople to discuss the religious leadership over the newly
converted Bulgarians though the embassy was turned back at the Byzantine border. During that time, he also served as treasurer to the Holy See. This papal election was controversial because Marinus had already been
consecrated as bishop of Caere; at the time, a bishop was expected never to
move to another
see. Among his first acts as pope were the restitution of
Formosus as
cardinal bishop of
Portus and the anathematizing of Photius I. Due to his respect for
Alfred the Great (r. 871–899), he freed the
Anglo-Saxons of the
Schola Anglorum in Rome from tribute and taxation. He died in May 884 and was buried in St. Peter's basilica in Rome, his successor being
Adrian III. ==Name error==