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Born in Tuscany, St. Martin was educated with Church doctrine and joined the [[clergy]] of the Church of Rome. As a [[priest]] Fr. Martin represented the [[See]] of Rome in Constantinople. After the death of Pope Theodore I in 649, Martin was chosen to succeed him. He appointed John, [[bishop]] of Philadelphia (Amman) to be Administrator of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem after the death of Patriarch Sophronius, who had died in 638. Martin, as Pope, justified this appointment "by the apostolic power which came to him from Jesus Christ through St. Peter."
During his papacy, the [[Monothelitism|Monothelite]] [[heresy]] began to question Church doctrine. The heresy advanced the teaching that Christ had two natures but one will, contrary to the Orthodox position that he had two wills - human and divine. The heretics were able to find adherents in high levels of society, such as Emperor [[Constans II|Constans]] (641–668) and [[Patriarch]] [[Paul II of Constantinople|Paul of Constantinople]] (641–654). Emperor Constans even published a book entitled "Pattern of Faith" that all people were forced to read. The book supported the heresy. When St. Martin read the book, he staunchly supported Orthodoxy and even convened the [[Lateran Council ]] at Rome in order to condemn the Monothelite heresy.
When the emperor learned this, he sent a military commander to kill the pope. Since the commander was too scared to assassinate the pope himself, he hired someone to perform the deed. The hired assassin became blinded upon approaching St. Martin and was unable to kill him. The military commander fled from Rome in fear and soon died in battle.
