# Pope Damasus II

_Pope_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/pope-damasus-ii
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Pope Damasus II (; died 9 August 1048, born Poppo von Brixen) was the Bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 17 July 1048 to his death on 9 August that same year. He was the second of the German pontiffs nominated by Emperor Henry III. A native of Bavaria, he was the third German to become pope and had one of the shortest papal reigns.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 1000 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60063#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Ering ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60063#P19))
- **Died:** 9 August 1048 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60063#P570))
- **Place of death:** Palestrina ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60063#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Duchy of Bavaria ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60063#P27))
- **Occupation:** Catholic priest ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60063#P106))
- **Positions held:** Pope (23 July 1048 – 9 August 1048); Roman Catholic Bishop of Brixen (since 1039); bishop ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60063#P39))

## About

Upon the death of Clement II, envoys from Rome were sent to the emperor to ascertain who should be named pope. Henry named the bishop of Brixen, Poppo de' Curagnoni. While the envoys were away, the former pope Benedict IX reasserted himself and with the assistance of the disaffected Margrave Boniface III of Tuscany once again assumed the papacy. Henry ordered Boniface to escort Poppo to Rome, but Boniface declined, pointing out that the Romans had already enthroned Benedict. Enraged, the emperor ordered the margrave to depose Benedict or suffer the consequences. Poppo became pope in mid-July but died less than a month later, in Palestrina.

## Questions

**When was Pope Damasus II born?**  
Pope Damasus II was born on 1000 in Ering.

**What positions has Pope Damasus II held?**  
Positions held by Pope Damasus II include: Pope (1048–1048); Roman Catholic Bishop of Brixen (since 1039); bishop.

## Related

- [Pope Telesphorus](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-telesphorus)
- [Pope Gregory XIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-gregory-xiii)
- [Pope Clement VII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-clement-vii)
- [Pope Pius I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-i)
- [Pope Boniface I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-boniface-i)
- [Pope Agapetus I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-agapetus-i)
- [Pope Eleutherius](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-eleutherius)
- [Pope Zephyrinus](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-zephyrinus)
- [Pope Benedict XII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-benedict-xii)
- [Pope Clement VI](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-clement-vi)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Pope Damasus II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Damasus_II) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q60063](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60063) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: B Damasus II1.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B_Damasus_II1.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Pope Damasus II, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: B Damasus II1.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Pope Damasus II". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-damasus-ii. Retrieved 5 November 2026.