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Pope Peter - Saint Peter | |||||
Born: Bethsaida, Galilee Died: 67, Rome, Italy | |||||
Saint Peter
Saint Peter, also known as Peter, Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha - original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14) - was one of the twelve original disciples or apostles of Jesus. His life is prominently featured in the New Testament Gospels. A Galilean fisherman, he (with his brother Andrew) was literally "called" by Jesus to be an apostle. Above all the other disciples, Peter was assigned a leadership role by Jesus (Matt 16:18; John 21:15–16); and indeed, his supremacy within the early Church is recognized by many. Simon Peter is considered a saint by many Christians, and the first Pope by the Roman Catholic Church and its Eastern Rites. Other Christian denominations recognize his office as Bishop of Antioch and later Bishop of Rome, but do not hold the belief that his episcopacy had primacy over other episcopates elsewhere in the world. Still others do not view Peter as having held the office of bishop or overseer, holding the view that the office of bishop was a development of later Christianity. Furthermore, many Protestants do not use the title of "saint" in reference to Peter, believing instead that all Christians are 'saints'. The Liturgy of the Hours records June 29, AD 69 as his date of death. However, the date is uncertain. Some scholars believe that he died on October 13, AD 64. He is traditionally believed to have been sentenced to death by crucifixion by the Roman authorities. According to tradition, Simon Peter was crucified upside down, and is buried in the grottoes underneath the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City. He is often depicted in art as holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven (the sign of his primacy over the Church), as described in the Gospel of Matthew. The Shiite Muslims believe
Simon (Shamoon in Arabic) was the chosen successor
of Jesus (Isa) by God. | |||||
Name
Peter's original name of Simon comes from the Hebrew language meaning
"hearkening and listening". In standard Hebrew it is
pronounced as Shimoon, and in Tiberian Hebrew it is
pronounced as Šhimʿôn. According to New
Testament gospels of Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus renames him "Petros" or
Πέτρος, which comes from the Greek meaning "pebble" or
"piece of rock" (but can also be understood to be Matthew changing the feminine
"Petra" to the masculine "Petros"). The name is also occasionally given in the
Aramaic form
"Cephas"
As Jews of that time spoke Aramaic it was the name Cephas (Aramaic: Rock) which
was given to Simon by Jesus. | |||||
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Peter is often depicted as spokesman of the twelve disciples, and he and James and John seem to have formed the core of an intimate group which was "closest" to Jesus, present in many moments of special revelations, such as the Transfiguration.
The gospels also state that Jesus foretold that Peter would deny him three times after Jesus' arrest. Again according to the Gospel of Matthew, on the evening before the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which is called the Passover), Jesus predicted to his disciples that they would "fall away" from him that night. Peter replied, "Even if all desert you, I will never desert you." Jesus answered, "In truth I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times." Confronted after Jesus had been arrested, Peter did deny knowing Jesus to avoid being arrested himself. When he heard a cock crow, he remembered what Jesus had said, and wept bitterly (Matt 26:31–35, 69–75; Mark 14:26–31, 66–72; Luke 22:31–34,54–62; John 18:15–18, 25–27).
However, after Jesus' resurrection, Peter is presented as meeting the risen
Jesus. As Peter reaffirms his love for his master, Jesus reaffirms Peter's
calling (John 21:15–17).
The author of the Acts of the
Apostles portrays Peter as an extremely important figure within the early
Christian community. Peter delivers a speech immediately after the event of Pentecost.
Furthermore, according to the Acts of the
Apostles, Peter takes the lead in selecting a replacement for Judas (1:15). Peter is
twice examined, with John, by the Sanhedrin and directly defies
them (4:7–22; 5:18–42). Once, Peter was arrested, but an angel appeared and
miraculously secured his release. He undertakes a missionary journey to Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea
(9:32–10:2). He is instrumental in the decision to evangelize the Gentiles (Acts
10), and he is present at the Council of
Jerusalem, where Paul further argues the case for admitting gentiles into
the Christian community without circumcision.
From the early Christian writings, it is clear that Peter was considered chief leader of the early community. Most of the gospels suggest that he was favored by Jesus. Although, since Peter does not reappear in Matthew's gospel after his denial of Jesus, a few scholars have suggested that for Matthew, Peter was an apostate. Perhaps the mystery is solved by the fact that Jesus appeared to Peter and charged him to return.
After Acts turns its attention away from Peter and to the activities of Paul, Peter's movements are not recorded. It is clear that he lived in Antioch for a while, for not only did Paul confront him there (Gal 2:11f), but tradition makes him the first bishop of that city, and thus the first Patriarch of Antioch. Some scholars interpret Paul's mention of Peter in 1 Cor 1:12 as evidence that Peter had visited Corinth. A far more insistent tradition, at least as early as the first century, is that he came to Rome, where he was martyred during the time of burning of Rome, as Nero wanted to put the blame of fire on Christians. The Gospel of John may be interpreted as suggesting that Peter was martyred by crucifixion ("when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and take you where you do not want to go" John 21:18), and Clement of Rome in his Letter to the Corinthians placed his death in the time of Nero. Later traditions hold that the Romans crucified him upside down by his request, as he did not want to equate himself with Jesus. On the way to his execution, it is said he encountered Jesus and asked, "Domine, Quo Vadis" ("Lord, where are you going?"). Other versions of this story claim that this occurred as Peter was fleeing Rome to avoid his execution, and that Jesus' response, "I am going to Rome, to be crucified again," caused him to turn back. This story is commemorated in an Annibale Carracci painting. The Church of Quo Vadis, near the Catacombs of Saint Callistus, contains a stone in which Jesus' footprints from this event are supposedly preserved, though this was actually apparently an ex-voto from a pilgrim, and indeed a copy of the original, housed in the Basilica of St. Sebastian.
This story is recorded in a number of places, notably the apocryphal Acts of Peter (35):
And as they considered these things, Xanthippe took knowledge of the counsel of her husband with Agrippa, and sent and showed Peter, that he might depart from Rome. And the rest of the brethren, together with Marcellus, besought him to depart. But Peter said unto them: Shall we be runaways, brethren? and they said to him: Nay, but that thou mayest yet be able to serve the Lord. And he obeyed the brethren's voice and went forth alone, saying: Let none of you come forth with me, but I will go forth alone, having changed the fashion of mine apparel. And as he went forth of the city, he saw the Lord entering into Rome. And when he saw him, he said: Lord, whither goest thou thus (or here)? And the Lord said unto him: I go into Rome to be crucified. And Peter said unto him: Lord, art thou (being) crucified again? He said unto him: Yea, Peter, I am (being) crucified again. And Peter came to himself: and having beheld the Lord ascending up into heaven, he returned to Rome, rejoicing, and glorifying the Lord, for that he said: I am being crucified: the which was about to befall Peter. (M.R. James, The Apocryphal New Testament, Clarendon Press, 1924.)
The ancient historian Josephus describes how Roman soldiers would amuse themselves by crucifying criminals in different positions. This is consistent with the ancient traditions about Peter’s crucifixion.
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In Roman Catholic tradition, Peter is considered the first bishop of Antioch, and later bishop of Rome and therefore the first pope. The first epistle ends with "The church that is in Babylon, chosen together with you, salutes you, and so does my son, Mark." (1 Pet 5:13), but Babylon has sometimes been taken figuratively to mean Rome. The preterist view of the Book of Revelation concludes that Babylon is figurative for Jerusalem. It could also be a symbolic code name for Antioch or some other large city. More literally, it could refer to some city in Mesopotamia.
The Roman Catholic Church makes use of his position as first bishop of Rome and Jesus' statement that Peter was the "rock" upon which he would build his community as the case for papal primacy. Numerous authors have noticed that the terminology of the commission is unmistakably parallel to the commissioning of Eliakim ben Hilkiah in Isa 22:15, 19–23. The popes are thus the successors of Peter and, as a result, retain his privileges given by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 16:18–19). (Protestants argue against this, saying that Jesus is the "petra" upon which God will build his church, and the "chief cornerstone", not Peter.) In honor of Peter's occupation before becoming an Apostle, the popes wear the Fisherman's Ring, which bears an image of the saint casting his nets from a fishing boat. The so-called "Keys of Heaven" or Papal Keys were, according to tradition, received by Peter from Jesus, marking Peter's role as head of the Christian faith on earth. Thus, the Keys are a symbol of the pope's authority still to this day. St. Peter is often depicted in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox pictures and artwork holding a key or set of keys.
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Christ gives Peter the key to the Kingdom of Heaven, by Pietro Perugino |
Controversy between Roman Catholics and Protestants still remains to this day on the interpretation of Matt 16:18–19. Protestant theologians try to resolve this question by looking at two words in the original Greek text: The word "Peter" and the word "rock." In the original language of the New Testament, the text reads: "You are Petros, and on this petra I will build my church." According to Protestants Matthew distinguished between Petros ("little stone" or "pebble") and petra ("bedrock" or "boulder"). Evangelical Christians believe that the Savior told Simon Peter that he would build his church on Peter's confession, not on him.
The Roman Catholic argument is that Peter was called Petros because he was male, and Petros is merely the masculinized form of the Greek word for "rock", Petra, which is a feminized form. Thus, the apparent dichotomy of Petros and Petra is merely a grammatical necessity. Furthermore, as renowned Catholic Apologist Karl Keating explains, 'Greek scholars—even non-Catholic ones—admit, the words petros and petra were synonyms in first century Greek. They meant "small stone" and "large rock" in some ancient Greek poetry, centuries before the time of Christ, but that distinction had disappeared from the language by the time Matthew’s Gospel was rendered in Greek. The difference in meaning can only be found in Attic Greek, but the New Testament was written in Koine Greek—an entirely different dialect. In Koine Greek, both petros and petra simply meant "rock."' Moreover, Catholics argue that although the gospel was written in Greek, the actual language Jesus spoke was likely Aramaic. In Aramaic the word for "rock" is Kepha, without masculinized/feminized forms. Therefore, Jesus would have stated, "You are Kepha, and on this Kepha I will build my church." This is attested to in the first chapter of the Gospel of John.
St. Peter's Basilica is built at the site of Peter's alleged crucifixion, and beneath the main altar there is an altar dedicated to St. Peter. Recent excavations have discovered a burial chamber even deeper beneath this altar where one skeleton, which was missing its feet, was interred with special honor. Some archeologists propose that these are the actual remains of Saint Peter, supposing that after dying by crucifixion (upside down according to tradition), his feet were cut off to remove him from the cross. They also cite, among other things, the age of the deceased (60–70, which would be consistent with Peter's age), and the fact that a piece of plaster which had come off the marble-lined repository in which the bones were supposedly buried bore the Greek inscription PETROS ENI, "Peter is within".
Pope John Paul II
would always visit the altar of Saint Peter before leaving Rome on an apostolic
journey. Pope Benedict XVI
began his formal installation ceremony at the tomb of Saint Peter.
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The New Testament includes two letters (or epistles) ascribed to Peter. While neither demonstrates the quality of Greek expected from an Aramaic fisherman who learned it as a second or third language, a number of scholars argued that if his first epistle was not at least written by him with the help of a secretary or amanuensis, then its author was a close associate of Peter who not only knew his opinions well, but felt comfortable speaking in Peter's name.
The Second Epistle of Peter is another possible case. This letter demonstrates a dependence on the Epistle of Jude, and some modern scholars date its composition as late as AD 250. However, this epistle is included in numerous early Bibles of around that time and before, such as Papyrus 72 (3rd century) and the Bible of Clement of Alexandria (ca. 200). See the following section for more detail.
The Gospel of Mark is generally attributed as being the teachings of Peter, recorded by John Mark. According to Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History 3.39.14–16, Papias recorded this from John the Presbyter: "Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his instructions to the necessities [of his hearers], but with no intention of giving a regular or chronological narrative of the Lord's sayings. Wherefore Mark made no mistake in thus writing some things as he remembered them. For of one thing he took especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put anything fictitious into the statements." If this tradition is authentic, and Mark was the faithful amanuensis of Simon Peter, then very strong doubt is cast on Peter stories found in the NT but not in the Gospel of Mark, including the paean to Peter in Matt 16:17–19. If this were authentic, then Mark would certainly have included it, but it is found only in Matthew and nowhere else. However, Matthew was also an eyewitness to Jesus' sayings, and a companion of Peter. Note that the attribution of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark to their traditional authors is disputed among scholars, as the gospels themselves are anonymous, and their titular attributions are not attested earlier than the second-century writings of Papias.
Until the early 4th century, there was controversy in the Western Church over the authorship of Second Peter. In the East as well, the work was not accepted universally for an even longer period; the Syriac Church only admitted it into the canon in the 6th century.
It is to be noted, however, that the church historian Eusebius remarks on Origen reference to the epistle before 250. In the collection of Cyprian's letters, the Bishop Firmilian speaks in favor of authenticity. Many scholars have noted the similarities between pseudo-Second Epistle of Clement (2nd century) and Second Peter. Several early church writers, the author of the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas among others, make allusions to the letter, which may give it an earlier priority.
Second Peter may be earlier than AD 250, but there is no reference to it dating back to the first century or even the early second century. The strongest evidence, according to some scholars, that it is a late forgery is the reference in 3:15 to "our beloved brother Paul," and to Paul's writings as "Scriptures." Many historians believe that relations between Paul and Peter were tense, even antagonistic (see Gal 2:11), and Peter would not have considered Paul's letters "scripture." Further, other scholars argue that the elevation of Pauline letters to scriptural status was a gradual process that was not completed early enough for Peter's reference.
Regardless of doubt on the legitimacy of Second Peter, some scholars believe that it was written in the first century (not the second or even third century AD).
In Jewish folklore St. Peter has a pristine reputation as a greatly learned and holy man who stopped the establishment of the Sunday Sabbath for Gentiles instead of Saturday, Noel (as a new year feast but not as Christmas) instead of Hanukkah, the Feast of the Cross instead of Rosh Hashana, Pascha instead of Pesakh, remembering the feast of the Jews instead of Sukkot, and the Ascension for them instead of Shavuot. R. Judah Ha-Hassid, who led Germany's 12th-century Hasidei Ashkenaz, considered him to be a Tzaddik (a Jewish saint or spiritual Master among Hasidim). The Tosaphist R. Jacob Tam wrote that he was "a devout and learned Jew who dedicated his life to guiding gentiles along the proper path". He also passed on the traditions that St. Peter was the author of the Sabbath and feast-day Nishmat prayer, which has no other traditional author, and also that he authored a prayer for Yom Kippur. There are also a number of other apocryphal writings that have been either attributed or written about Peter. They were from antiquity regarded as pseudepigrapha. These include:
Over the years "St. Peter" has evolved into a stock character that is now widely used in jokes, cartoons, comedies, dramas, and plays. Such caricatures almost all play upon Peter's mythical role as the guardian of the gates of heaven, which in turn often sees him depicted as an elderly, bearded man who literally sits at a physical golden gate that serves as heaven's main entrance. Peter acts as a sort of hotel-style doorman / bouncer who personally interviews prospective entrants into Heaven, often from behind a desk.
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was the second leader of the unified Catholic Church in the city of Rome. The Catholic Church identifies Linus as the second Pope, immediately following the apostle Saint Peter, however some Protestant scholars hold Saint Linus to be the first Bishop of Rome, first appointed by Saint Paul, based upon Saint Peter's claim preserved in the Apostolic Constitutions (Book VII Section IV). Tertullian names Saint Clement to have been the first successor to Saint Peter, most other accounts (except Peter's) have Linus as the first bishop of Rome following St Peter, though they vary significantly on the date of the commencement of his papacy. Most sources suggest that Linus became pope in 67, while Eusebius gives 69, the Catholic Encyclopedia 64, the Liber Pontificalis 56 and the Liberian Catalogue 55. The Vatican's 2003 Annuario Pontificio cites the year 68. The discrepancy may be explained by Linus already being Saint Peter's adjutor during his lifetime, and some of the sources may incorrectly choose this time. He was Pope for eleven to fifteen years; the Liberian Catalogue gives a duration of 12 years, 4 months and 12 days.
Saint Peter's view preserved in the Apostolic Constitutions comment on the appointment of Saint Linus as Rome's first Bishop. Saint Peter writes: "Now concerning those bishops which have been ordained in our lifetime, we let you know that they are these: ... Of the church of Rome, Linus the son of Claudia was the first, ordained by Paul; and Clemens, after Linus’ death, the second, ordained by me Peter." Peter's words are credible since Paul arrived in Rome prior to Peter, and therefore Paul was in a more likely position to appoint a Bishop.
The Apostolic Church Elder Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp (Born cir. A.D. 130) and later Bishop of Smyrna, also confirms Linus' appointment. He wrote: "After the Holy Apostles founded and set the Church in order (in Rome) they gave over the exercise of the episcopal office to Linus. The same Linus is mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to Timothy [II Tim 4:21]. His successor was Anacletus." (Adv. haereses, III, iii, 3). Also, "The apostles, having founded and built up the Church at Rome, committed the ministry of its supervision to Linus. This is the Linus mentioned by Paul in his Epistle to Timothy." (Irenaei Opera Lib. III. C.I.)
Almost nothing is known of his life. According to Zedler his mother was Claudia, his father Herculeanus. All of the writings which were thought to have been written by Linus actually turned out to be fiction or unprovable. The decree for women to keep their heads covered while in church is probably not issued by him, as was claimed for a long time. The apocryphal Latin account of the death of the apostles Peter and Paul is falsely attributed to Linus (it was actually written in the 6th century).
Sources also vary on the date of his death. Most suggest that he died in 79, while the Liber Pontificalis gives 67, Johann Heinrich Zedler 78, and Eusebius 81. Many sources—especially the Liber Pontificalis, but not Irenaeus-claim he died a martyr, but as there was no persecution in the time of Linus' death, most historians regard Linus' martyrdom rather improbable. Nevertheless, his memorial (feast day) is September 23, the day of his martyrdom according to the Liber Pontificalis. The same work also claims that Linus was buried on the Vatican Hill. In the 7th century an inscription was found near the confessional of St Peter, which was believed to contain the name Linus.
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Anacletus, or Anencletus, was the third pope (after St Peter and St Linus). His papal name, which is Greek, signifies one who has been "called back" to service. He may have been the same person as Cletus. Eusebius, Irenaeus, Augustine and Optatus all suggest that both names refer to the same individual. On the other hand, the Liberian Catalogue and the Liber Pontificalis both state that Anacletus and Cletus are different persons.
He is traditionally cited as having been a Roman citizen, and is said to have been pope for twelve years, from 77 to 88, when he allegedly died as a martyr. However, the Vatican's 2003 Annuario Pontificio gives his dates as 80 to 92.
One of the few surviving records concerning Anacletus' papacy mention him having ordained an uncertain number of priests.
His remains are kept in Saint Linus Church in the Vatican. His memorial day is April 26.
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the bishop of Rome also called Clement of Rome and Clemens Romanus, was either the third or fourth pope, before or after Pope Anacletus. He is also considered one of the Apostolic Fathers.
There is no ground for identifying him with the Clement mentioned in Philippians 4:3 [1]. He may have been a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor Domitian. The Shepherd of Hermas (Vision II. 4. 3) mentions a Clement whose office it is to communicate with other churches; this function has been adduced to support Clement's authorship of the letter to the church at Corinth, Greece, ascribed to him: full details are at the entry Epistles of Clement.
Liber Pontificalis believes that Clement of Rome had personally known Saint Peter, and states that he wrote two letters (the second letter, 2 Clement is no longer ascribed to Clement) and that he died in Greece in the third year of Trajan's reign, or 100. A 9th century tradition says he was martyred in the Crimea in 102, tied to a ship's anchor and thrown overboard to drown, but earlier sources say he died a natural death. The Vatican's "Annuario Pontificio" (2003) cites a reign from 92 to 99. He is commemorated on November 23.In art, Saint Clement can be recognized as a pope with an anchor and fish. Sometimes there is an addition of a millstone; keys; a fountain that sprung forth at his prayers; or with a book. He might be shown lying in a temple in the sea.
Writings
Clement is perhaps best known by a letter to the Church in Corinth, often called 1 Clement.
A second epistle, better described as a homily and written in the second century, has been traditionally ascribed to Clement, but recent scholarship discredits his authorship.
Clement is also the hero of an early Christian romance or novel that has survived in at
least two different versions, known as the Clementine
literature, where he is identified with Domitian's cousin T. Flavius
Clemens.
Born: Unknown Died: ca, Rome, Italy 105 Papacy: ca, Rome, Italy 98 - 105 | |
Evaristus
was Pope from about 98 to 105 (99 to 108 in the Vatican's Annuario Pontificio of 2003). He was also known as Aristus. Little is known about Evaristus. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he came from a family of Hellenic origin. He was elected during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, the time of the second general persecution. Eusebius, in Ecclesiastical History IV, I, states that Evaristus died in the 12th year of the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan, after holding the office of bishop of the Romans for 8 years. Evaristus laid the foundation for the College of Cardinals, the body that would later become responsible for papal elections. He is traditionally considered a martyr, but there is no historic proof of such an assertion. His memorial or feast day is October 26. |
Pope Alexander I | |||
Born: Unknown, Rome, Italy Died: ca, Rome, Italy 115 Papacy: ca, Rome, Italy 106 - 115 | |||
Alexander I
was Pope from about 106 to 115. The Vatican's "Annuario Pontificio" (2003) identifies him as a Roman who reigned from 108 or 109 to 116 or 119. Many have identified him as a martyr, but there appears to be no historical evidence supporting such a conclusion. Eusebius, in Ecclesiastical History IV, IV, 1, states that Alexander died in the third year of the Roman Emperor Hadrian's reign, after holding the office of bishop of the Romans for ten years.
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Pope Sixtus I | |||
Born: Unknown, Rome, Italy Died: Rome, Italy 126 Papacy: Rome, Italy 117 - 126 | |||
Sixtus I
was a second-century pope for about ten years, succeeding Pope Alexander I. In the oldest documents, Xystus is the spelling used for the first three popes of that name. The Vatican's "Annuario Pontificio" (2003) identifies him as a Roman who reigned from 117 or 119 to 126 or 128. According to the Liberian Catalogue of popes, he ruled the Church during the reign of Hadrian "a conulatu Nigri et Aproniani usque Vero III et Ambibulo", that is, from 117 to 126. Eusebius states in his Chronicon that Sixtus I was pope from 114 to 124, while his Historia Ecclesiastica, using a different catalogue of popes, claims his rule from 114 to 128. All authorities agree that he reigned about ten years. He was a Roman by birth, and his father's name was Pastor. According to the Liber Pontificalis (ed. Duchesne, I.128), he passed the following three ordinances:
The Felician Catalogue of popes and the various martyrologies style him martyr. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, writing in the second century, says nothing of his martyrdom; his successor Pope Telesphorus is the first pope after St. Peter whom Irenaeus designates a martyr. His feast is celebrated on 6 April. He was buried in the Vatican, beside the tomb of St. Peter. His relics are said to have been transferred to Alatri in 1132, though O Jozzi ("Il corpo di S. Sisto I., papa e martire rivendicato alla basilica Vaticana", Rome, 1900) contends that they are still in the Vatican Basilica. Butler (Lives of the Saints, 6 April) states that Clement X gave some of his relics to Cardinal de Retz, who placed them in the Abbey of St. Michael in Lorraine. The Xystus who is commemorated in the Catholic Canon of the Mass is Sixtus II, not Xystus I. |
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Pope Telesphorus | |||
Born: Unknown, Greece Died: ca, Rome, Italy 137 Papacy: ca, Rome, Italy 126 - 137 | |||
Telesphorus
(feast day: January 5) was Pope from about 126 to about 137. His pontificate began during the reign of Hadrian, during which he witnessed the persecution of Christians, and ended during the reign of Antoninus Pius. The Vatican's "Annuario Pontificio" says that he was Greek by birth, and reigned from 127 or 128 to 137 or 138. The tradition of Christmas midnight masses, the celebration of Easter on Sundays, the keeping of a seven-week Lent before Easter and the singing of the Gloria are usually attributed to his pontificate, but many historians doubt that such attributions are accurate. The writer Irenaeus says that Telesphorus suffered martyrdom; he is traditionally described as the first pope after St. Peter to have suffered that fate. According to one source, "He is the only 2nd century pope whose martyrdom is reliably attested." In the Roman Martyrology his feast is given under January 5; the Greek Church celebrates it on February 22. The Carmelites venerate Telesphorus as patron saint of the order since he is claimed have lived on Mount Carmel as a hermit |
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Pope Hyginus | |||
Born: Unknown, Athens, Greece Died: ca, Rome, Italy 140 Papacy: ca, Rome, Italy 138 - 140 | |||
Hyginus
was Pope from about 138 to about 140. He was born in Athens, Greece. During his papacy, he determined the different prerogarives of the clergy, and defined the grades of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Hyginus instituted godparents at baptism to assist the newly born during their Christian life. He also decreed that all churches be consecrated. He is said to have died a martyr under the persecution of Marcus Aurelius, though no records verify this. His feast day is January 11. |
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Pope Pius I | |||
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Pius I
was pope, perhaps from 140 to 154, though the Vatican's 2003 Annuario Pontificio lists 142 or 146 to 157 or 161. He is believed to have been born at Aquileia, his father being one "Rufinus," who is said also to be of Aquileia according to the Liber Pontificalis[1]. Some conjecture that he was a martyr, and he is celebrated as such in the Breviary. Nevertheless, there is little other evidence that supports such a conclusion. It is stated in the second century Muratorian Canon[2], and also in the Liberian Catalogue[3], that he was the brother of Hermas, author of the text The Shepherd of Hermas. The writer of the later text identifies himself as a former slave. This has led to speculation that both Hermas and Pius were freedmen. His feast day is July 11. |
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Pope Anicetus | |||
Born: Unknown, Emesa, Syria Died: ca, Rome, Italy - 17 April 167 Papacy: ca, Rome, Italy 154 - 17 April 167 | |||
Anicetus
was Bishop of Rome (now called pope) from about 154 to about 167 (the Vatican's list cites 150 or 157 to 153 or 168). He was a Syrian from Emesa. According to Irenaeus, it was during his pontificate that the aged Polycarp, a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist, visited the Roman Church. Polycarp and Anicetus discussed the celebration of Passover. Polycarp and his Church of Smyrna celebrated the crucifixion on the fourteenth day of Nisan, which coincides with Pesach. The day of the week was not important in the East. On the other hand, the Roman Church celebrated an Easter Passover on Sunday—the weekday of Jesus' resurrection. The two did not agree on a common date, but Anicetus conceeded to Polycarp and the Smyrnan Church the ability to retain the date to which they were accustomed. The controversy was to accelerate and grow heated in the course of the following centuries. The Christian historian Hegesippus also visited Rome during Anicetus' pontificate. This visit is often cited as sign for the early importance of the Roman See. Anicetus was the first Roman Bishop to condemn heresy by forbidding Montanism. He also actively opposed the Gnostics and Marcionism. According to Liber Pontificalis, Anicetus decreed that priests are not allowed to have long hair (perhaps because the Gnostics wore long hair.) Anicetus is reported to have suffered martyrdom. April 16, 17 and 20 are all cited as the date of his death, but April 17 is celebrated as his memorial or feast day. Details relating to the type of his martyrdom are unknown. |
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Pope Soter | ||
Born: Unknown, Fondi, Italy Died: Rome, Italy - 174 Papacy: Rome, Italy 166 - 174 | ||
Soter,
sometimes known as the Pope of Charity, was pope from 166 to 174 (the Vatican cites 162 or 168 to 170 or 177). He declared that marriage was valid only as a sacrament blessed by a priest. He was born in Fondi, Italy, and died, according to tradition, as a martyr. He was buried in the Pope Callixtus I cemetery in Rome. His feast day is April 22. Soter apparently inaugurated Easter as an annual festival in Rome. His name derives from the word soter (sō tēr) n. [< Gr. sōtēria, deliverance (in LXX & NT., salvation) < sōtēr, a deliverer (in NT., Savior) high priest of the inner mystery of salvation |
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Pope Eleuterus | ||
Born: Unknown, Nicopolis, Epirus, Greece Died: ca, Rome, Italy 189 Papacy: ca, Rome, Italy 174 - 189 | ||
Eleuterus or Eleutherius
was pope from about 174 to 189 (the Vatican cites 171 or 177 to 185 or 193). He was born in Nicopolis in Epirus. His contemporary Hegesippus wrote that he was a deacon of the Roman Church under Pope Anicetus (c. 154 - 164), and remained so under Pope Soter, the following pope, whom he succeeded in about 174. Even though the treatment of Christians under Marcus Aurelius was distressing in various parts of the Roman Empire, the persecution in Rome itself does not seem to have been so violent. The historian De Rossi, dates the martyrdom of St. Cecilia towards the end of Aurelius' reign. During the reign of Commodus (180 - 192) the Christians enjoyed a practically unbroken peace, although the martyrdom of St. Apollonius at Rome took place at the time (180 - 185). Catholic reactions to the Montanist movementThe Montanist movement, that originated in Asia Minor, made its way to Rome and Gaul in the second half of the Second century, more precisely about the reign of Eleutherius; its peculiar nature made it difficult for Christians to take a decisive stand against it. During the violent persecution at Lyons, in 177, local confessors wrote from their prison concerning the new movement to the Asiatic and Phrygian communities, and also to Pope Eleutherius. The bearer of their letter to the pope was the presbyter Irenćus, soon afterwards the Bishop of Lyons. It appears from statements of Eusebius concerning these letters that the Christians of Lyons, though opposed to the Montanist movement, advocated patience and pleaded for the preservation of ecclesiastical unity. Exactly when the Roman Catholic Church took its definite stand against Montanism is not known with any certanity. It would seem from Tertullian's account (adv. Praxeam, I) that a Roman bishop did send some conciliatory letters to the Montanists, but these letters, says Tertullian, were subsequently recalled. He probably refers to Pope Eleutherius, who long hesitated, but after a conscientious and thorough study of the situation, is supposed to have declared against the Montanists. At Rome, the Gnostics and Marcionites continued to preach against the Catholic church. The "Liber Pontificalis" ascribes to Pope Eleutherius a decree that no kind of food should be despised by Christians (Et hoc iterum firmavit ut nulla esca a Christianis repudiaretur, maxime fidelibus, quod Deus creavit, quć tamen rationalis et humana est). Possibly he did issue such an edict against the Gnostics and Montanists; it is also possible that on his own responsibility the writer of the "Liber Pontificalis" attributed to this pope a similar decree current about the year 500. The Conversion of a British King?The same writer is responsible for a curious and interesting assertion concerning the early missionary activity of the Roman Church; indeed, the "Liber Pontificalis" contains no other statement equally remarkable. Pope Eleutherius, says this writer, received from Lucius of Britain, a British king, a letter in which the latter declared that by his behest he wishes to become a Christian (Hic accepit epistula a Lucio Brittanio rege, ut Christianus efficerentur per ejus mandatum). Whence the author of the first part of the "Liber Pontificalis" drew this information, it is now impossible to say. Historically speaking, the fact is quite improbable, and is rejected by all recent critics. As at the end of the Second century the Roman administration was so securely established in Britain, that there could no longer have been in the island any real native kings. That some tribal chief, known as king, should have applied to the Roman bishop for instruction in the Christian faith seems improbable enough at that period. The unsupported assertion of the "Liber Pontificalis", a compilation of papal biographies that in its earliest form cannot accurately date the first qutarter of the Sixth century, is not a sufficient basis for the acceptance of this statement. By some it is considered a story intended to demonstrate the Roman origin of the British Church, and consequently the latter's natural subjection to Rome. To make this clearer they locate the origin of the legend in the course of the Seventh century, during the dissensions between the primitive British Church and the Anglo-Saxon Church recently established from Rome. But for this hypothesis all proof is lacking. It falls before the simple fact that the first part of the "Liber Pontificalis" was complied long before these dissensions, most probably (Duchesne) by a Roman cleric in the reign of Pope Boniface II (530 - 532), or (Waitz and Mommsen) early in the seventh century. Moreover, during the entire conflict that centered around the peculiar customs of the Early British Church no reference is ever made to this alleged King Lucius. Saint Bede is the first English writer (673 - 735) to mention the story repeatedly (Hist. Eccl., I, V; V, 24, De temporum ratione, ad an. 161), and he took it, not from native sources, but from the "Liber Pontificalis". Harnack suggests a more plausible theory (Sitzungsberichte der Berliner Akademie, 1904, I, 906-916). In the document, he holds, from which the compiler of the "Liber Pontificalis" drew his information the name found was not Britanio, but Britio. Now this is the name (Birtha- Britium) of the fortress of Edessa. The king in question is, therefore, Lucius Ćlius Septimus Megas Abgar IX, of Edessa, a Christian king, as is well known. The original statement of the "Liber Pontificalis", in this hypothesis, had nothing to do with Britain. The reference was to Abgar IX of Edessa. But the compiler of the "Liber Pontificalis" changed Britio to Brittanio, and in this way made a British king of the Syrian Lucius. The ninth-century "Historia Brittonum" sees in Lucius a translation of the Celtic name Llever Maur (Great Light), says that the envoys of Lucius were Fagan and Wervan, and tells us that with this king all the other island kings (reguli Britannić) were baptized (Hist. Brittonum, xviii). Thirteenth century chronicles add other details. The "Liber Landavensis", for example (ed. Rees, 26, 65), makes known the names of Elfan and Medwy, the envoys sent by Lucius to the pope, and transfers the king's dominions to Wales. An echo of this legend penetrated even to Switzerland. In a homily preached at Chur and preserved in an Eighth - or Ninth century manuscript, St. Timothy is represented as an apostle of Gaul, whence he came to Britain and baptized there a king named Lucius, who became a missionary, went to Gaul, and finally settled at Chur, where he preached the gospel with great success. In this way Lucius, the early missionary of the Swiss district of Chur, became identified with the alleged British king of the "Liber Pontificalis". The latter work is the authority for the statement that Pope Eleutherius died on 24 May, and was buried on the Vatican Hill (in Vaticano) near the body of St. Peter. His feast is celebrated on 26 May. |
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Pope Victor I | ||
Born: Unknown, province of Africa Died: Rome, Italy 198 Papacy: Rome, Italy 189 - 198 | ||
Saint Victor I
was Bishop of Rome (now called pope) from 189 to 199 (the Vatican cites 186 or 189 to 197 or 201). He was the first "African" pope having born in the province of Africa, and later came to Rome. He was later canonized. Until his pontificate, a difference in dating the celebration of the Christian Passover/Easter between Rome and the bishops of Asia Minor had been tolerated. The churches in Asia Minor celebrated it on the 14th of the Jewish month of Nisan, the Jewish Passover, regardless of what day it falls, as the Crucifixion had occurred on the Friday before Passover. The Latins called them Quartodecimans (see article Quartodecimanism). Rome and the West celebrated Easter on the Sunday following the 14th of Nisan. Victor is remembered for the intolerance he displayed towards any lack of uniformity in the church by excommunicating the bishops such as Polycrates of Ephesus who opposed his views on Easter. He also excommunicated Theodotus of Byzantium for his beliefs about Christ. Until Victor's time, Rome celebrated the Mass in Greek. Pope Victor changed the language to Latin, which was used in his native North Africa. According to Jerome, he was the first Christian author to write about theology in Latin. |
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Pope Zephyrinus | ||
Born: Unknown, Rome, Italy Died: Rome, Italy 20 December 217 Papacy: Rome, Italy 199 - 20 December 217 | ||
Saint Zephyrinus
was pope from about 199 to 217. He was born in Rome, was preceded by Victor and was succeeded, upon his death on December 20, 217, by his principal advisor, Pope Callixtus I. The Papal rule of Zephyrinus was filled with a few miscellaneous epidsodes that usually ended poorly for the Christians at the time. The first of these took place 3 years into his rule, in the year 203, when the Roman emperor Septimius Severus held a celebration for marking his ten-year anniversary as emperor. The Christians opted not to attend the event, and Severus became angry. He then held a vigorous, but brief, persecution of the population. The second major incident was much more dire and led to the first major division of the Church. A large heresy by the name of Patripassion Monarchianism was growing at a large rate, and in response to this, Zephyrinus did little. He merely denounced them based off of a statement by his trusted advisor, Pope Callixtus. Because of the Pope's lack of action, the renowned Theologist Hippolytus (writer) heavily criticised him, saying that Zephyrinus was ignorant. He also claimed that Zephyrinus was too heavily influenced by his advisor. Regardless of the validity of his claims, Hippolytus continued to show his extreme dislike for the Pope until the latter's death in 217. Upon the death of their leader, the Church entered into its first division. Antipope Natalius[1], rival bishop of Rome, according to Eusebius's EH5.28.8-12, quoting the Little Labyrinth of Hippolytus, after being "scourged all night by the holy angels", covered in ash, dressed in sackcloth, and "after some difficulty", tearfully submitted to Pope Zephyrinus. The feast of Pope Zephyrinus is held on August 26. |
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Pope Callixtus I | ||
Born: Unknown Died: Unknown Papacy: 217 - 222 | ||
Callixtus I (also Callistus I)
was pope for a period of five years, from about 217 to about 222, during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Elagabalus and Alexander Severus. The Acta of Callixtus are imaginary (CE "Pope St Callistus I"). His contemporary and enemy, the author of Philosophumena (probably the antipope Hippolytus (writer) relates that when Callixtus, as a young slave was put in charge of a bank by his master, Carpophorus, he lost the money deposited by other Christians. Callixtus then fled from Rome, but was caught near Portus. According to the tale, Callixtus jumped overboard to avoid capture, but was rescued and taken back to his master. He was released at the request of the creditors, who hoped he might be able to recover some of the money, but was rearrested for fighting in a synagogue when he tried to borrow or collect debts from some Jews. Denounced as a Christian, Callixtus was sentenced to work in the mines of Sardinia. Finally, he was released with other Christians at the request of Marcia, a mistress of Emperor Commodus. His health was so weakened that his fellow Christians sent him to Antium to recuperate and he was given a pension by Pope Victor I. Callixtus was the deacon to whom Pope Zephyrinus (199-217) entrusted the burial chambers along the Appian Way, which had been completely lost and forgotten, until in 1849 they were rediscovered by the archaeologist Giovanni Battista de Rossi. In the 3rd century, nine Bishops of Rome were interred in the chamber of the Catacombs of San Callisto now called the Capella dei Papi. When Callixtus followed Zephyrinus as Bishop of Rome, he established the practice of the absolution of all repented sins, for which Tertullian took him to task (De Pudicitia xxi). Hippolytus and Tertullian were especially upset by the pope's admitting to communion those who had repented for murder, adultery, and fornication. In an apocryphal anecdote in the collection of imperial biographies called the Augustan History, the spot on which he had built an oratory was claimed by tavern keepers, but the Emperor decided that the worship of any god was better than a tavern. The story is the basis for dating the original structure of the present Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere. The Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere was a Titulus of which Callixtus was the patron. The 4th-century basilica of Ss Callixti et Iuliani (Callixtus and Pope Julius I) was rebuilt in the 12th century by Pope Innocent II and rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 8th-century Chiesa di San Callisto is close by, with its beginnings apparently as a shrine on the site of his martyrdom, which is attested in the 4th-century Deposition Martyri and so is likely to be historical. It is possible that Callixtus was martyred around 222, perhaps during a popular uprising, but the legend that he was thrown down a well has no historical foundation, though the church does contain an ancient well (Nyborg). Callixtus is honored as a martyr in Todi, Italy, on August 14. He was buried in the cemetery of Calepodius on the Aurelian Way and his anniversary is given by the 4th-century Depositio Martirum (Callisti in viâ Aureliâ miliario III) and by the subsequent martyrologies on 14 October. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, his relics were translated in the 9th century to the predecessor of Santa Maria in Trastevere. The Roman Catholic Church keeps the feast day of Pope Saint Callixtus I on October 14. |
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Pope Hippolytus (writer) | ||
Born: Unknown Died: 235 (martyr) Papacy: Unknown - Unknown | ||
Saint Hippolytus of Rome
was a writer of the early Christian Church. He was apparently elected as the first Antipope in 217, but died reconciled to the Church in 235 as a martyr, so that he is honored as a saint. The mystery which enveloped the person and writings of Hippolytus, one of the most prolific ecclesiastical writers of early times, had some light thrown upon it for the first time about the middle of the 19th century by the discovery of the so-called Philosophumena (see below). Assuming this writing to be the work of Hippolytus, the information given in it as to the author and his times can be combined with other traditional dates to form a tolerably clear picture. LifeHippolytus must have been born in the second half of the 2nd century, probably in Rome. Photius describes him in his Bibliotheca (cod. 121) as a disciple of Irenaeus, and from the context of this passage it is supposed that we may conclude that Hippolytus himself so styled himself. But this is not certain, and even if it were, it does not necessarily imply that Hippolytus enjoyed the personal teaching of the celebrated Gallic bishop; it may perhaps merely refer to that relation of his theological system to that of Irenaeus which can easily be traced in his writings. As a presbyter of the church at Rome under Bishop Zephyrinus (199-217), Hippolytus was distinguished for his learning and eloquence. It was at this time that Origen, then a young man, heard him preach (Jerome, Vir. ill. 61; cp. Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica vi. 14, 10). It was probably not long before questions of theology and church discipline brought him into direct conflict with Zephyrinus, or at any rate with his successor Calixtus I. He accused the bishop of favouring the Christological heresies of the Monarchian, and, further, of subverting the discipline of the Church by his lax action in receiving back into the Church those guilty of gross offences. The result was a schism, and for perhaps over ten years Hippolytus stood as bishop at the head of a separate church. Then came the persecution under Maximinus Thrax. Hippolytus and Pontian, who was then pope, were transported in 235 to Sardinia, where it would seem that both of them died. From the so-called chronography of the year 354 (Liberian Catalogue) we learn that on August 13, probably in 236, the bodies of the exiles were interred in Rome and that of Hippolytus in the cemetery on the Via Tiburtina; so we must suppose that before his death the schismatic was received again into the bosom of the Church, and this is confirmed by the fact that his memory was henceforth celebrated in the Church as that of a saint and martyr. Pope Damasus I dedicated to him one of his famous epigrams, and Prudentius (Peristephano II) drew a highly colored picture of his gruesome death, the details of which are certainly purely legendary: the myth of Hippolytus (mythology) the son of Theseus was transferred to the Christian martyr. The mythological Hippolytus, whose name means "loose horse" in Greek, had been dragged to death by wild horses; this death became the method by which the historical Hippolytus became martyred. Hippolytus thus became the patron saint of horses. During the Middle Ages, sick horses were brought to St. Ippolitts, Hertfordshire, where a church was dedicated to him. Of the historical Hippolytus little remained in the memory of later ages. Neither Eusebius (H.E. vi. 20, 2) nor Jerome (Vir. ill. 61) knew that the author so much read in the East and the Roman saint were one and the same person. The notice in the Chronicon Paschale preserves one slight reminiscence of the historical facts, namely, that Hippolytus's episcopal see was situated at Portus near Rome. In 1551 a marble
statue of a seated man was found in the cemetery of the Via Tiburtina: on the
sides of the seat were carved a paschal cycle, and on the
back the titles of numerous writings. It was the statue of Hippolytus, a work at
any rate of the 3rd century; at the time of Pius
IX, it was placed in the Lateran
Museum, a record in stone of a lost tradition. Hippolytus's voluminous writings, which for variety of subject can be compared with those of Origen, embrace the spheres of exegesis, homiletics, apologetics and polemic, Chronography, and ecclesiastical law. His works have unfortunately come down to us in such a fragmentary condition that it is difficult to obtain from them any very exact notion of his intellectual and literary importance. Of his exegetical works the best preserved are the Commentary on the Prophet Daniel and the Commentary on the Song of Songs. In spite of many instances of a want of taste in his typology, they are distinguished by a certain sobriety and sense of proportion in his exegesis. We are unable to form an opinion of Hippolytus as a preacher, for the Homilies on the Feast of Epiphany which go under his name are wrongly attributed to him. He wrote polemical works directed against the pagans, the Jews and heretics. The most important of these polemical treatises is the Refutation of all Heresies, which has come to be known by the inappropriate title of the Philosophumena. Of its ten books, the second and third are lost; Book I was for a long time printed (with the title Philosopizumena) among the works of Origen; Books IV-X were found in 1842 by the Greek Minoides Mynas, without the name of the author, in an Armenian convent at Mount Athos. It is nowadays universally admitted that Hippolytus was the author, and that Books I and IV-X belong to the same work. The importance of the work has, however, been much overrated; a close examination of the sources for the exposition of the Gnostic system which is contained in it has proved that the information it gives is not always trustworthy. Of the dogmatic works, that on Christ and Antichrist survives in a complete state. Among other things it includes a vivid account of the events preceding the end of the world, and it was probably written at the time of the persecution under Septimius Severus, i.e. about 202. The influence of Hippolytus was felt chiefly through his works on chronographic and ecclesiastical law. His chronicle of the world, a compilation embracing the whole period from the creation of the world up to the year 234, formed a basis for many chronographical works both in the East and West. In the great compilations of ecclesiastical law which arose in the East since the 4th century much of the material was taken from the writings of Hippolytus; how much of this is genuinely his, how much of it worked over, and how much of it wrongly attributed to him, can no longer be determined beyond dispute even by the most learned investigation. BibliographyThe edition of JA Fabricius, Hippolyti opera graece et latine (2 vols., Hamburg, 1716-1718), reprinted in Gallandi, Bibliotheca veterum patrum (vol. II, 1766), and Jacques Paul Migne, Cursus patrol. ser. Graeca, (vol. X) is out of date. The preparation of a complete critical edition has been undertaken by the Prussian Academy of Sciences; The task is one of extraordinary difficulty, for the textual problems of the various writings are complex and confused: the Greek original is extant in a few cases only (the Commentary on Daniel, the Refutation, on Antichrist, parts of the Chronicle, and some fragments); for the rest we are dependent on fragments of translations, chiefly Slavonic, all of which are not even published (as of 1911). Of the Academy's edition one volume was published at Berlin in 1897, containing the Commentaries on Daniel and on the Song of Songs, the treatise on Antichrist, and the Lesser Exegetical and Homiletic Works, edited by Georg Nathaniel Bonwetsch and Hans Athelis. The Commentary on the Song of Songs has also been published by Bonwetsch (Leipzig, 1902) in a German translation based on a Russian translation by Nicholas Marr of the Georgian text, and he added to it (Leipzig, 1904) a translation of various small exegetical pieces, which are preserved in a Georgian version only (The Blessing of Jacob, The Blessing of Moses, The Narrative of David and Goliath)--A great part of the original of the Chronicle has been published by Adolf Bauer (Leipzig, 1905) from the Codex Matritensis Graecus, 221. For the Refutation we are still dependent on the editions of Miller (Oxford, 1851), Maximilian Wolfgang Duncker and Friedrich Wilhelm Schneidewin (Göttingen, 1859), and Cruice (Paris, 1860). An English translation is to be found in the Ante-Nicene Christian Library (Edinburgh, 1868-1869). |
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Pope Urban I | ||
Born: Unknown Died: 230 Papacy: 222 - 230 | ||
Saint Urban,
pope (222-230), came to the see of Rome in the year that Roman Emperor Elagabalus was assassinated and served during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus. He had been preceded by Pope Callixtus I and was followed by Pope Pontian. He is mentioned by Eusebius in his history and is named in an inscription in the Coemeterium Callisti, but of his life nothing is known. The Catholic Church's Breviary (25 May) speaks of his numerous converts, among whom were Valerianus, husband of Saint Cecilia, and his brother Tiburtius, and states that he suffered martyrdom and was buried in the Coemetarium Praetextati. Feast day May 25. |
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Pope Pontian | ||
Born: Unknown Died: Unknown, Sardinia, Italy Papacy: 21 July 230 - 28 September 235 | ||
Pontian (or Pontianus),
was pope from July 21, 230 to September 28, 235. A little more is known of Pontian than his predecessors, apparently from a lost papal chronicle that was available to the compiler of the Liberian Catalogue of bishops of Rome, made in the fourth century (Catholic Encyclopedia). During his pontificate the schism of Hippolytus came to an end. Pontian and other church leaders, among them Hippolytus, were exiled by the emperor Maximinus Thrax to Sardinia, and in consequence of this sentence resigned on September 25 or September 28, 235. It is unknown for how long he stayed in exile, but according to Liber Pontificalis he died due to the inhuman treatment he received in the Sardinian mines. His remains were brought to Rome by Pope Fabian and buried in the Catacomb of Pope Callixtus I. His epitaph was rediscovered in 1909 in the crypt of St. Cecilia, Rome, near the papal crypt, reading PONTIANOS, EPISK. ("Pontianus, bishop"). The inscripton "MARTUR" ("martyr") had been added in another hand. His feast day was 19 November, but is now 13 August, sharing it with Antipope Hippolytus. |
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Pope Anterus | ||
Born: Unknown Died: Rome, Italy, 3 January 236 Papacy: 21 November 235 - 3 January 236 | ||
Pope Anterus,
the 19th Pope (Reign: November 21, 235 - January 3, 236), succeeded Pope Pontian, who had been deported from Rome along with the antipope Hippolytus (writer) to Sardinia. It is claimed he was martyred, but there is little evidence for this. He was buried in the papal crypt of the cemetery of St. Pope Callixtus I in Rome and later made a saint. |
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Pope Fabian | ||
Born: Unknown Died: Rome, Italy, 20 January 250 Papacy: January 236 - 20 January 250 | ||
Saint Fabian
(died 250; feast day: January 20), pope and martyr, was chosen pope, or bishop of Rome, in January 236 in succession to Pope Anterus. Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. Vi. 29) relates how the Christians, having assembled in Rome to elect a new bishop, saw a dove alight upon the head of Fabian, a stranger to the city, who was thus marked out for this dignity, and was at once proclaimed bishop, although there were several famous men among the candidates for the vacant position. Fabian was martyred during the persecution under the Roman Emperor Decius, his death taking place on January 20, 250, and was buried in the catacomb of Pope Callixtus I, where a memorial has been found. He is said to have baptized the emperor Philip and his son, to have done some building in the catacombs, to have improved the organization of the church in Rome, and to have appointed officials to register the deeds of the martyrs. According to "later accounts, more or less trustworthy" according to the Catholic Encyclopedia he sent out the "apostles to the Gauls" to Christianize Gaul after the persecutions under Emperor Decius had all but dissolved the small Christian communities. Fabian sent out seven bishops from Rome to Gaul to preach the Gospel: Gatianus of Tours to Tours, Trophimus of Arles to Arles, Paul to Narbonne, Saturnin to Toulouse, Denis to Paris, Austromoine to Clermont, and Martial to Limoges. Fabian seems to have been martyred in Rome, however, at the beginning of the "Decian persecutions." His deeds are thus described in the Liber Pontificalis: Hic regiones dividit diaconibus et fecit vii subdiacones, qui vii notariis imminerent, Ut gestas martyrum integro fideliter colligerent, et multas fabricas per cymiteria fieri praecepit. ("He divided these regions into deaconships and made seven sub-deaconships which seven secretaries oversaw, so that they brought together the deeds of the martyrs faithfully made whole, and he brought forth many works in the cemeteries.") Although there is very little authentic information about Fabian, there is evidence that his episcopate was one of great importance in the history of the early church. He was highly esteemed by Cyprian, bishop of Carthage; Novatian refers to his nobilissima memoriae, and he corresponded with Origen. One authority refers to him as Flavian. |
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