Editing Pope Stephen II (section)

{{short description|Head of the Catholic Church from 752 to 757}}
{{Pope Stephen ToP Dab|II}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Pope
| honorific-prefix = [[List of popes|Pope]]
| name = Stephen II 
| title = [[Bishop of Rome]]
| church = [[Catholic Church]]
| image =
| image_size = 220px
| caption = [[Miniature (illuminated manuscript)|Miniature]] of Stephen II
| term_start = 26 March 752
| term_end = 26 April 757
| predecessor = [[Pope Zachary|Zachary]]
| successor = [[Pope Paul I|Paul I]]
| cardinal = before 750
| created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Zachary|Zachary]]
| birth_date = 714
| birth_place = [[Rome]], [[Exarchate of Italy|Italy]], [[Eastern Roman Empire]]
| death_date = 26 April 757 (aged 43)
| death_place = [[Rome]], [[Papal States]]
| other = Stephen
}}

'''Pope Stephen II''' ({{langx|la|Stephanus II}}; 714 – 26 April 757) was born a Roman aristocrat and member of the [[Orsini family]]. Stephen was the [[bishop of Rome]] from 26 March 752 to his death on 26 April 757. Stephen II marks the historical delineation between the [[Byzantine Papacy]] and the [[Frankish Papacy]]. During Stephen's pontificate, [[Rome]] was facing invasion by the [[Lombards]] when Stephen II went to Paris to seek assistance from [[Pepin the Short]]. Pepin defeated the Lombards and made [[Donation of Pepin|a gift of land]] to the pope, eventually leading to the establishment of the [[Papal States]].