Saint Adeodatus I was a pioneering priest-pope who strengthened the clergy, introduced papal bulls, and served the needy amidst trials

Adeodatus I, was the first priest to be elected pope since Pope John II in 533 AD. All the popes till than had been deacons. The elderly Adeodatus was elected to the position of the Bishop of Rome on 19 October 615AD.

He was also knows as "Deusdedit" meaning "God has given", reflecting his deep faith and commitment to the Church.

Very little is known about Adeodatus I's pontificate. However recorded history states that he introduced the concept of papal bulls. These official documents bore the pope’s seal as a sign of his approval, a practice later adopted by future popes.

A surviving bulla dating back to his reign as Pope, depicts the Good Shepherd with his flock and the letters Alpha and Omega underneath. On the rear it says “Deusdedit Papæ” which means “Pope Adeodatus”.

While Boniface IV introduced the tradition of appointing monks to open positions, Adeodatus chose to have clergy fill those roles instead.

A diocesan priest, Devusdeith immediately supported the diocesan clergy and appointed diocesan priests to official positions in the Church rather than monks. He also ordained fourteen new priests.

The ordinations of priests under Devusdeith were the first to be held in Rome since the ordinations of Pope Gregory the Great in 604 AD.

According to sources, an earthquake struck Rome during his reign and another plague also affected the city. Adeodatus was among the first to mobilize citizens to aid those in need and personally spent time with lepers.

Pope Adeodatus distributed a year's salary equally to all the priests before he passed away. His tombstone, dated 8th November 618AD, describes him as a humble, pious, intelligent, and prudent pope.