Pope Anastasius II assumed the role of the 50th Pontiff of the Catholic Church on November 24, AD 496.

Shortly following his election, he dispatched two envoys to Constantinople bearing a cordial missive. Through this letter, the Pope formally conveyed his election to the Emperor and expressed his earnest aspiration to mend the schisms within the Church.

Pope Anastasius II concurred to acknowledge the legitimacy of baptisms and canonizations administered by Acacius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, aiming to facilitate Church unity. However, he stipulated that during Mass, the name of Patriarch Acacius should be omitted from the prayers.

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While endeavoring to reconcile the tenets of the Synod of Chalcedon with the Monophysite doctrines, Emperor Zeno proposed an arrangement. He offered to endorse Theodoric, the Ostrogoth leader, as the ruler of Italy, contingent upon Anastasius embracing the Henotikon, Emperor Zeno's edict of 482.

Faustus, a Roman senator hailing from Constantinople and one of the papal emissaries, coerced Pope Anastasius II into acquiescing to the emperor's conditions. Amidst this climactic confluence of events, Pope Anastasius II passed away on November 19th, AD 498, entering his eternal rest.

Pope Anastasius II's papacy lasted less than two years. While his adherents harbored hopes of fostering Church cohesion, the prevailing divisions proved insurmountable. Regrettably, his demise exacerbated the rift, deepening the fractures within the Church.
-edit&transl. SM