thumb | right | An image supposedly depicting Donus II, published in Chronologia Summorum Romanorum Pontificum in 1675. The caption states that he was the 135th pope and ruled for three months in 972.
Pope Donus II is an apocryphal pope who allegedly held the title briefly between Benedict VI and Benedict VII sometime during the 970s. The creation is likely due to papal catalogues accidentally confusing the title domnus for a proper name caused by the later addition of some antipopes into papal listings. His existence had been documented since at least the 15th century, and he was considered a pope by the Vatican for more than 200 years until the timeline was corrected in 1947. Despite his fictitious record, the nonexistent pope had been praised for honorable conduct.
History
Donus II was likely invented by later papal catalogues that listed him between Benedict VI and Benedict VII. Benedict VI was likely listed prior to the phrase Domnus de Sutri, as he had been the bishop of Sutri. Later editions had added antipope Boniface VII and his years of reign into the same timeline directly after the mention of Benedict VI, which would have listed Domnus de Sutri independently alongside the year 974, which had been previously accredited to Benedict VI. Later editors would have read the phrase as the name of a pope, and then shortened the name to just Domnus, giving the impression of a Pope Domnus (also written as Domnus, Donus, or Bonus) who held the title in 974. He was given the suffix of II as a Pope Donus already had held position between 676 and 678.thumb|A mosaic of Donus II (second from right) at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. His inclusion at the basilica legitimized his existence for centuries.
Fanciful illustrations of Donus II have existed since at least the 15th century. One example is a portrait (known as a clipei) in a gallery of Popes located at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The gallery was not continuously maintained, evident as the list was only expanded during rare periods of renovation.
Despite his accidental creation, egregious accounts of Donus II have been recorded. A book by Alexis-François Artaud de Montor states that he was Roman, elected in 972 due to involvement by the counts of Tusculum, and "governed three months with great integrity" before dying on 19 December 972 and being interred at the Vatican. Other specifics of his alleged reign vary, such as being between 5 April 974 and October 975, or, according to William à Beckett, that he was "never charged with any injustice or dishonourable action." Regardless of the dates of his alleged papacy, no contemporary sources mention Donus II nor are any of his acts as pope recorded.