He was a native of Albano, near Rome; and, upon the death of pope
Anastasius in 402, was unanimously chosen to fill the pontifical
chair. He ascended it by compulsion, and considering himself in it
with trembling, he never ceased to beg of God the spirit of his
holy wisdom and prudence, which he stood the more in need of, as
the times in which he lived were more difficult. Alaric the Goth,
with an army of barbarians, threatened to carry desolation over all
Italy. The pope exhorted the faithful to receive the scourges of
heaven with submission and humility, and undertook several journeys
to negotiate a reconciliation between the emperor Honorius and
Alaric, but in vain. The Goths received a great overthrow from the
Roman army commanded by Stilico, in 403. But Alaric led them a second
time to attempt the plunder of Rome; and because Honorius refused
to make him general of the imperial army, he took that city on the
24th of August, 410, and abandoned it to the fury of his soldiers,
excepting the church of SS. Peter and Paul, to which he granted the
privilege of a sanctuary. Pope Innocent was at that time absent with
the emperor at Ravenna. The year following, Alaric being dead, his
brother-in-law and successor Atulphus again plundered Rome.
After the departure of the barbarians, the good pope hastened
thither, and by his presence brought comfort and joy to that
afflicted people. He taught them to draw an advantage from their
sufferings by making a good use of them, and so much were the
Heathens edified at the patience, resignation, and virtue with
which the Christians suffered the loss of their goods and whatever
was dear, without any murmuring or complaint, that they came in
crowds desiring to be instructed in the faith and baptized. The pope
labored incessantly to form them a holy people, always occupied in
good works. His letters, especially those to Exuperius, the most
holy bishop of Toulouse, and Decentius, bishop of Gubbio, in answer
to their several queries, contain many useful rules, and judicious
decisions. In the former, he says, that communion or absolution is
never to be denied to dying penitents, that we may not imitate the
hardness of the Novatians. In that to Decentius he says, that only
bishops, who have the sovereignty of the priesthood, can confer the
Holy Ghost in confirmation, by anointing the foreheads of persons
baptized; and that he cannot recite the words of the form for fear
of discovering the mysteries or sacraments to the infidels. He uses
the same precaution in speaking of the sacrifice; so inviolable was
the secret with which, out of respect, the primitive Christians
treated the sacraments. In the same epistle, this pope mentioning
the extreme unction which is given to the sick, he says, it cannot
be administered to penitents before their reconciliation, because it
is a sacrament; and all sacraments are refused them in that state.
This evinces that it was held to be no less properly a sacrament
than the eucharist. He indeed allows the custom that then prevailed
for the laity to use the holy oils out of devotion, but without
the sacramental words, and not as a sacrament; for being consulted
whether bishops could give that sacrament, which was usually
administered by priests, he proves that bishops can do it, because
priests can; consequently, he supposes as undoubted, that only
priests, not laymen, can minister this holy sacrament.
When, in 416, the councils of Carthage and Milevum had condemned the
Pelagian errors, and wrote to the pope against them, the synodal
letters of both these councils having been drawn up by St. Austin,
St. Innocent, in his answer to the bishops of the council of Milevum,
says, that “all ecclesiastical matters throughout the world are, by
divine right, to be referred to the apostolic see, that is, to St.
Peter, the author of its name and honor.” He commends the bishops
of this council for so doing: “Following,” says he, “the ancient
rule which you know with me, has been always observed by the whole
world.”[329] The confirmation given by pope Innocent to these two
African councils being brought to Africa, St. Austin said,[330]
“The decisions of the two councils have been already sent to the
apostolic see; the rescripts are also come from thence. The cause is
now finished; would to God that the error may at last be at end.” St.
Innocent closed his life with exerting his zeal in defence of divine
grace, dying in 417, having been pope fifteen years. See his letters,
and the councils, Ceillier, t. 10, p. 104, and Cuper the Bollandist,
t. 6, Jul. p. 548.