ings ▁of ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁Hier ia . ▁It ▁is ▁perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁Roman ▁council ▁held ▁during ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁death ▁of ▁Pope ▁Paul ▁I , ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁June ▁ 7 6 7 , ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁un can on ical ▁election ▁of ▁two ▁ant ip op es . ▁Const antine ▁II ▁was ▁a ▁lay man ▁who ▁was ▁elev ated ▁to ▁the ▁Pap al ▁See ▁by ▁his ▁brother ▁T oto ▁of ▁Nep i ▁and ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁T us can ▁nobles . ▁He ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁another ▁ant ip ope , ▁Philip , ▁who ▁was ▁installed ▁by ▁an ▁en voy ▁of ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁the ▁Lomb ards , ▁Des ider ius , ▁and ▁re igned ▁just ▁for ▁one ▁day , ▁ 3 1 ▁July ▁ 7 6 8 . ▁With ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Pope ▁Stephen ▁III ▁on ▁ 1 ▁August ▁ 7 6 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁for cible ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁ant ip op es , ▁Stephen ▁III ▁had ▁sent ▁a ▁request ▁to ▁P ep in ▁the ▁Short , ▁asking ▁for ▁b ish ops ▁well ▁vers ed ▁in ▁the ▁Script ures ▁and ▁in ▁canon ▁law ▁to ▁assist ▁at ▁a ▁syn od ▁which ▁would ▁seek ▁to ▁prevent ▁any ▁repeat ▁of ▁the ▁events ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁elev ation ▁of ▁the ▁ant ip op es . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁en vo ys ▁reached ▁Francia , ▁P ep in ▁was ▁dead . ▁However , ▁they ▁appe aled ▁to ▁his ▁sons ▁Char lemagne ▁and ▁Carl oman