THE BEGINNINGS OF
CHRISTIANITY
Duquesne University
Theo 274
Class schedule:
•
Study on early Popes.
Class presentations.
Reading before the class:
P. Haffner,
Early Christianity
, chapter 3 “THE EARLY POPES”.
List of Popes up to antipope, St. Hippolytus.
The early Popes
The first 16 Popes
and the first antipope
St. Peter
•
Blessed
Peter,
son
of
Jonah,
of
the
province
of
Galilee
and
the
town
of
Bethsaida,
brother
of
Andrew
and
chief
of
the
apostles,
first
occupied
the
seat
of
the
bishop
in
Antioch
for
7
years.
Peter
entered
the
city
of
Rome
when
Claudius
was
Cæsar
and
there
occupied
the
seat
of
the
bishop
for
25
years,
1
month
and
8
days.
He
was
bishop
in
the
time
of
Tiberius
Cæsar
and
of
Gaius
and of Tiberius Claudius and of Nero.
•
He
wrote
two
epistles
which
are
called
Catholic,
and
effectively
the
gospel
of
Mark,
for
Mark
was
his
disciple
and
son
by
baptism;
this
was
afterwards
the
source
of
the
other
Synoptic
gospels.
•
He
ordained
two
bishops,
Linus
and
Cletus,
who
in
person
fulfilled
all
the
ministry
of
the
priest
in
the
city
of
Rome
for
the
inhabitants
and
for
pilgrims;
then
the
blessed
Peter
gave
himself
to prayer and preaching, instructing the people.
St. Peter
•
He
disputed
many
times
with
Simon
Magus
both
before
Nero,
the
emperor,
and
before
the
people,
since
by
magic
arts
and
trickery
Simon
was
drawing
away
those
whom
the
blessed
Peter
was
gathering
into
the
faith
of
Christ.
And
while
they
debated
once
at
great
length
Simon was struck dead by the will of God.
•
Simon
the
Sorcerer
or
Simon
the
Magician,
in
Latin
Simon
Magus,
was
a
Samaritan
magus
or
religious
figure
and
a
convert
to
Christianity,
baptised
by
Philip
the
Evangelist,
whose
later
confrontation
with
Peter
is
recorded
in
Acts
8:9-24.
The
sin
of
simony,
or
paying
for
position
and
influence
in
the
Church,
is
named
for
Simon.
St. Peter
•
Clement
of
Rome,
in
his
Letter
to
the
Corinthians
(Chapter
5),
written
c.
80-98,
speaks
of
Peter’s
martyrdom
in
the
following
terms:
o
Let
us
take
the
noble
examples
of
our
own
generation.
The
greatest
and
most
just
pillars
of
the
Church
were
persecuted,
and
came
even
unto
death…
Peter…
endured
not
one
or
two
but
many
labours,
and
at
last,
having
delivered
his
testimony,
departed
unto
the
place
of
glory
due to him.
St. Peter
St.
Peter
was
crucified
upside
down
near
the
palace
of
Nero,
in
the
Vatican,
on
June
29,
in
the
year
64.¹
Vaticanus
was
the
ancient
name
of
the
hill
forming
the
prolongation
of
the
Janiculum
toward
the
north,
and
the
Campus
or
Ager
Vaticanus
was
the
space
between
the foot of the hill and the Janiculum and the Tiber.
______________________
1.
Margherita
Guarducci,
who
led
the
research
leading
to
the
rediscovery
of
Peter's
reputed
tomb
in
its
last
stages
(1963–1968),
concludes
Peter
died
on
13
October
AD
64
during
the
festivities
on
the
occasion
of
the
dies
imperii
of
Emperor
Nero.
This
took
place
three
months
after
the
disastrous
fire
that
destroyed
Rome
for
which
the
emperor
wished
to
blame
the
Christians.
This
dies
imperii
(coronation
day
anniversary)
was
an
important
one,
exactly
ten
years
after
Nero
ascended
to
the
throne,
and
it
was
“as
usual”
accompanied
by
much
bloodshed.
St. Linus
•
First
successor
of
St.
Peter,
according
to
Irenaeus,
Jerome,
Eusebius,
John
Chrysostom,
the
Liberian
Catalogue
and
the
Liber
Pontificalis.
•
Reigned 67-c.76 AD (c. means circa or around)
•
See
2
Timothy
4:21:
“Greetings
to
you
from
Eubulus,
Pudens,
Linus, Claudia and all the brothers.”
•
St.
Irenaeus
identifies
him
with
this
Linus
mentioned
in
2
Timothy 4:21, saying,
The
blessed
apostles,
then,
having
founded
and
built
up
the
Church,
committed
into
the
hands
of
Linus
the
office
of
the
episcopate.
Of
this
Linus,
Paul
makes
mention
in
the
Epistles
to
Timothy.
To
him
succeeded
Anacletus;
and
after
him,
in
the
third
place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric.
St. Linus
•
According
to
the
Liber
Pontificalis
,
Linus
was
an
Italian
from
Tuscany
(though
his
name
is
Greek),
and
his
father’s
name
was
Herculanus.
•
For
more
info
about
the
Liber
Pontificalis
see
this
video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnHnwJyAllQ
•
The
Apostolic
Constitutions
name
his
mother
as
Claudia.
The
Liber
Pontificalis
also
says
that
he
died
a
martyr
and
was
buried
on
the Vatican Hill next to Peter.
•
It
gives
the
date
of
his
death
as
23
September,
the
date
on
which
his
feast
is
still
celebrated.
His
name
is
included
in
the
Roman
Canon of the Mass.
St. Cletus
•
Also known as St. Anacletus.
•
Reigned c.76-88 AD
•
The
name
“Cletus”
in
Ancient
Greek
means
“one
who
has
been
called”, and “Anacletus” means “one who has been called back”.
•
St
Cletus/Anacletus
was
traditionally
said
to
have
been
a
Roman,
and to have been Pope for twelve years.
•
Tradition
has
it
that
this
Pope
divided
Rome
into
twenty-five
parishes.
One
of
the
few
surviving
records
concerning
his
papacy mentions him as having ordained a number of priests.
•
He
was
buried
next
to
his
predecessor,
Saint
Linus,
in
St.
Peter’s
Basilica.
His
name
(as
Cletus)
is
included
in
the
Roman
Canon
of
the Mass.
St. Clement I
•
Pope
Saint
Clement
I,
was
the
fourth
Pope
and
Bishop
of
Rome
and
is
considered
the
first
Apostolic
Father
of
the
early
Christian
church.
•
Reigned 88-97 AD
•
Clement’s
letter
to
the
Corinthian
church
(1
Clement)
was
widely
read
and
is
one
of
the
oldest
Christian
documents
still
in
existence
outside
the
New
Testament.
This
important
work
is
the
first to manifest Rome’s primacy.
•
According
to
tradition,
Clement
was
imprisoned
under
the
Emperor
Trajan
but
nonetheless
led
a
ministry
among
fellow
prisoners.
He
was
then
executed
by
being
tied
to
an
anchor
and
thrown into the sea.
St. Clement I
The
body
was
taken
to
Rome
under
Nicholas
1
(858-867)
by
Saints
Cyril
and
Methodius
and
placed
in
a
church
dedicated
to
his
honor
(San
Clemente).
This
is
one
of
the
most
venerable
of
the
churches
in
Rome
because it retains all the liturgical arrangements of ancient times.
St. Clement I
St.
Clement’s
name
is
in
the
Roman
Canon
of
the
Mass.
He
is
commemorated
on
November
23
as
pope
and
martyr
Church of San Clemente
Saint Evaristus
•
Little
is
known
about
Evaristus.
According
to
the
Liber
Pontificalis,
he
came
from
a
family
of
Hellenic
Jewish
origin.
•
He
was
elected
during
the
reign
of
the
Roman
Emperor
Domitian,
the
time
of
the
second
general
persecution.
•
Reigned from 97 to 105 AD
•
It
was
once
supposed
that
all
the
early
Popes
were
martyrs.
There
is
no
confirmation
of
this
in
the
case
of
Pope
Evaristus,
who
is
listed
without
that
title
in
the
Roman
Martyrology,
with
feast
day
on
26
October.
Saint Alexander I
•
A
Roman
who
then
suffered
martyrdom
under
the
Roman Emperor Trajan or Hadrian.
•
Reigned from 105-115 AD.
•
Pope
Alexander
I
is
also
said
to
have
introduced
the
use
of
blessing
water
mixed
with
salt
for
the
purification
of
Christian
homes
from
evil
influences,
and
the
custom
of
mixing
water
into
the
chalice
during the Offertory at Mass.
•
In
some
editions
of
the
Roman
Missal
the
Saint
Alexander
commemorated
on
3
May
is
identified
with
Pope Alexander I.
Saint Sixtus I
•
Sometimes spelled Xystus
He was a Roman by birth, and his father's name was Pastor.
Reigned from about 115-125 AD.
According
to
the
Liber
Pontificalis,
he
passed
the
following
three
ordinances:
1
.
that
none
but
sacred
ministers
are
allowed
to
touch
the
sacred
vessels;
2
.
that
bishops
who
have
been
summoned
to
the
Holy
See
shall,
upon
their
return,
not
be
received
by
their
diocese
except
on
presenting Apostolic letters;
3
.
that
after
the
Preface
in
the
Mass
the
priest
shall
recite
the
Sanctus with the people.
Saint Sixtus I
•
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
Telesphorus
is
the
first
pope
after
St.
Peter
whom
Irenaeus designates a martyr.
•
He
was
buried
in
the
Vatican,
beside
the
tomb
of
St.
Peter.
•
His feast is celebrated on April 6.
Saint Telesphorus
•
He was Greek by birth.
•
Reigned
from
125-136
AD,
during
the
periods
of
Roman Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius.
•
He instituted these traditions:
1
.
Christmas Midnight Masses,
2
.
the celebration of Easter on Sundays,
3
.
the keeping of a seven-week Lent before Easter
4
.
and the singing of the Gloria at Mass.
Saint Telesphorus
•
The
Carmelites
venerate
Telesphorus
as
a
patron
saint
of
the
order
since
some
sources
depict
him
as
a
hermit living on Mount Carmel.
•
The
writer
St.
Irenaeus
of
Lyons
said
that
St.
Telesphorus suffered martyrdom.
•
In
the
Roman
Martyrology
his
feast
is
celebrated
on
2
January.
•
The Greek Church celebrates it on 22 February.
Saint Hyginus
•
He was Greek by birth from Athens
•
Reigned from 136-140 AD.
•
During
his
papacy,
he
determined
the
different
prerogatives
of
the
clergy,
and
defined
the
grades
of
the ecclesiastical hierarchy.
•
Hyginus
instituted
the
tradition
of
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 Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
•
His feast day is 11 January.
Saint Pius I
•
Pius
is
believed
to
have
been
born
at
Aquileia,
in
Northern
Italy,
during the late 1st century. His father was called Rufinus.
•
Reigned from 140-155 AD.
•
It
is
stated
in
the
2nd
century
Muratorian
Canon,
and
in
the
Liberian
Catalogue,
that
he
was
the
brother
of
Hermas,
author
of the text known as
The Shepherd of Hermas
.
•
The
writer
of
the
latter
text
identifies
himself
as
a
former
slave.
This
has
led
to
speculation
that
both
Hermas
and
Pius
were
freedmen.
1
1.
A
freedman
or
freedwoman
is
a
former
slave
who
has
been
released
from
slavery,
usually
by
legal
means.
Historically,
slaves
were
freed
either
by
manumission
(granted
freedom
by
their
owner)
or
emancipation
(granted
freedom
as
part
of
a
larger group). A
fugitive
slave is one who escaped slavery by fleeing.
Saint Pius I
•
St
Pius
I
governed
the
Church
in
the
middle
of
the
second
century
during
the
reigns
of
the
Emperors
Antoninus
Pius
and
Marcus
Aurelius.
He
decreed
that
Easter
should
only
be
kept
on
a
Sunday
and
ordered
the
publication
of
the
Liber
Pontificalis.
He
is
said
to
have
built
one
of
the
oldest
churches
in
Rome,
that
of
Santa Pudenziana.
•
St
Pius
I
endured
many
hardships
during
his
reign.
Pope
Pius
I
opposed
the
Valentinians
and
Gnostics
and Marcion, whom he excommunicated.
•
He is said to have died a martyr.
•
His feast day is 11 July.
Saint Anicetus
•
His
name
is
Greek
for
‘unconquered’.
He
was
a
Syrian
from the city of Emesa (modern-day Homs), Syria.
•
Reigned from 155-166 AD.
•
According
to
Saint
Irenaeus,
it
was
during
his
pontificate
that
the
aged
Saint
Polycarp
of
Smyrna,
a
disciple
of
Saint
John
the
Evangelist,
visited
the
Rome.
St.
Polycarp
and
St.
Anicetus
discussed
the
celebration
of
Passover.
Polycarp
and
his
Church
of
Smyrna
celebrated
the
Crucifixion
on
the
fourteenth
day
of
Nisan,
which
coincides
with
the
Jewish
Pesach
or
Passover.
The
day
of
the
week
was
not
important
in the East.
Saint Anicetus
•
On
the
other
hand,
the
Roman
Church
celebrated
an
Easter
Passover
on
Sunday—the
day
of
the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
•
The
two
did
not
agree
on
a
common
date,
but
Pope
Anicetus
conceded
to
St
Polycarp
and
the
Church
of
Smyrna
the
ability
to
retain
the
date
to
which
they
were accustomed.
•
The
controversy
was
to
boil
up
again
in
the
course
of
the following centuries.
Saint Anicetus
•
St
Anicetus
condemned
the
heresies
of
Montanism,
Gnostics
and
Marcionism.
According
to
the
Liber
Pontificalis
,
Anicetus
decreed
that
priests
are
not
allowed
to
have
long
hair
(perhaps
because
the
Gnostics wore long hair).
•
St
Anicetus
is
reported
to
have
suffered
martyrdom
during
the
reign
of
the
Roman
Co-Emperor
Lucius
Verus.
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.
Saint Soter
•
Born
in
Fondi,
Campania,
Italy,
The
name
Soter
derives
from
a
Greek
word,
meaning
a
saviour,
a
deliverer.
•
Reigned 166-175 AD.
•
It
is
said
that
he
declared
that
marriage
was
valid
only
as
a
sacrament
blessed
by
a
priest,
and
that
he
inaugurated Easter as an annual festival in Rome.
•
It
has
often
been
supposed
that
all
the
earliest
Popes
suffered
martyrdom;
but
the
Roman
Martyrology
does not give Pope Soter the title of Martyr.
•
Saint Soter’s feast day is on April 22.
Saint Eleuterus
•
Also
known
as
or
Eleutherius,
and
was
born
in
Nicopolis in Epirus. His name is Greek for free.
•
Reigned 175–189 AD.
•
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
as
violent
as
it
was
elsewhere.
Saint Eleuterus
•
The
Montanist
movement,
which
originated
in
Asia
Minor,
made
its
way
to
Rome
and
Gaul
in
the
second
half
of
the
second
century,
around
the
reign
of
Eleuterus;
its
peculiar
nature
made
it
difficult
for
Christians to take a decisive stand against it.
•
Montanism
was
an
early
Christian
heterodox
movement
of
the
early
2nd
century
AD,
named
after
its founder Montanus.
•
It
originated
at
Hierapolis
and
flourished
throughout
the
region
of
Phrygia,
leading
to
the
movement
being
referred
to
as
Cataphrygian
(meaning
it
was
“from
Phrygia”).
Saint Eleuterus
•
Montanism
spread
rapidly
to
other
regions
in
the
Roman
Empire
at
a
time
before
Christianity
was
generally tolerated or legal.
•
Some
people
have
drawn
parallels
between
Montanism
and
modern
Pentecostalism
(which
some
call Neo-Montanism).
•
The
most
widely
known
Montanist
was
undoubtedly
Tertullian,
who
was
the
foremost
Latin
church
writer
before he converted to Montanism.
Saint Eleuterus
•
Pope
Eleuterus
hesitated
at
first,
but
after
a
conscientious
and
thorough
study
of
the
situation,
is
supposed to have declared against the Montanists.
•
Pope
Eleutherius,
is
supposed
to
have
received
from
Lucius,
a
British
king,
a
letter
in
which
the
latter
declared that he wished to become a Christian.
•
Feast day: 26 May
Saint Victor I
•
He was the first Pope from Africa.
•
Reigned 189-199 AD
•
Before
his
elevation
to
the
Papacy,
a
difference
in
dating
the
celebration
of
the
Christian
Passover/Easter
between
Rome
and
the
bishops
of
Asia
Minor
had
been
tolerated
by
both
the
Roman
and Eastern churches.
•
The
churches
in
Asia
Minor
celebrated
it
on
the
14th
of
the
Jewish
month
of
Nisan,
the
day
before
Jewish
Passover,
regardless
of
what
day
of
the
week
it
fell
on,
as
the
Crucifixion
had
occurred
on
the
Friday
before
Passover.
The
Latins
called
them
Quartodecimans.
Saint Victor I
•
Rome
and
the
West
celebrated
Easter
on
the
Sunday
following the 14th of Nisan.
•
Victor
is
remembered
for
the
great
concern
he
displayed
for
order
in
the
church
by
severing
ties
with
bishops
such
as
Polycrates
of
Ephesus
who
opposed
his views on Easter.
•
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.
•
Feast day 28 July
Saint Zephyrinus
•
Born in Rome.
•
Reigned 199-217
•
Under
Zephyrinus,
the
position
of
the
Christians,
which
had
remained
favourable
in
the
first
years
of
the
government
of
Emperor
Septimius
Severus
(193-211),
grew
constantly
worse,
and
in
202
or
203
the
edict
of
persecution
appeared
which
forbade conversion to Christianity under the severest penalties.
•
The
Roman
priest
Hippolytus
was
a
vigorous
proponent
of
the
doctrine
that
emphasized
the
distinction
of
the
Persons
of
the
Holy Trinity.
•
The
doctrine
in
the
form
in
which
Hippolytus
proposed
it
aroused
many
doubts,
and
another
theological
school
appeared
in opposition to it, emphasizing the absolute unity of God.
•
Hippolytus’
notion
was
not
heretical,
it
was
part
of
a
process
which
came
to
clarify
and
define
the
true
doctrine
of
the
Holy
Trinity.
Saint Zephyrinus
•
In
his
opposition
to
Zephyrinus,
Hippolytus
started
the
first
schism
in
the
history
of
the
Christian
Church,
and
was
the
first
antipope
(217-235).
St.
Hippolytus
was reconciled at the end and died a martyr.
•
Zephyrinus
was
buried
in
a
separate
sepulchral
chamber
over
the
cemetery
of
St.
Callixtus
on
the
Via
Appia.
•
The
feast
of
St
Zephyrinus,
Pope
and
Martyr,
is
celebrated on December 20, the day of his death.
•
He was succeeded as Pope by his deacon Callixtus.
Saint Callixtus I
•
Pope
Saint
Callixtus
I,
also
written
Callistus
I,
was
pope
from
217–222
AD,
during
the
reigns
of
the
Roman
emperors
Heliogabalus and Alexander Severus.
•
He
was
by
nationality
a
Roman,
son
of
Domitius,
from
the
district Urbs Ravennantium.
•
Prior
to
becoming
pope,
Callixtus
had
suffered
hard
labour
in
the
mines
of
Sardinia
before
being
freed
through
the
efforts
of
Pope Victor I during the reign of Emperor Commodus.
•
He
remained
outside
of
Rome
after
his
liberation
until
being
summoned
by
his
predecessor,
Pope
Zephyrinus,
to
serve
as
his
deacon.
•
Callixtus
was
placed
in
charge
of
the
famous
Christian
burial
chambers along the Appian Way which bear his name.
Saint Callixtus I
•
It
is
related
that
this
pope
expressly
ordered
that
priests,
on
receiving
holy
orders,
should
make
a
vow
of
continence,
and
should never contract marriage;
•
He
decreed
that
marriage
should
not
be
contracted
between
relatives;
•
He
decreed
that
the
fast
of
the
ember
days
of
the
year,
which
in
some countries was neglected, should be strictly observed.
1
•
In
five
ordinations
this
pontiff
created
eight
bishops,
sixteen
priests, and four deacons.
1.
In
the
liturgical
calendar
of
the
Western
Christian
churches,
Ember
days
are
four
separate
sets
of
three
days
within
the
same
week—specifically,
the
Wednesday,
Friday,
and
Saturday—roughly
equidistant
in
the
circuit
of
the
year,
that
were
formerly set aside for fasting and prayer.
Saint Callixtus I
•
This
pontiff
perished
during
a
popular
insurrection,
and
ecclesiastical
memoirs
state
that
he
was
thrown
from a window and into a well.
•
He
did
not
die
on
the
spot,
and
men
daily
went
down
to
maltreat
the
glorious
martyr,
who
made
no
complaint.
•
The
well
is
still
to
be
seen
in
the
Church
of
Saint
Callixtus,
near
that
of
Saint
Mary
in
Trastevere,
which
is itself built on the former site of the house.
•
He
was
buried
in
the
cemetery
of
Calepodius
on
the
Aurelian
Way,
and
the
date
of
his
death,
given
by
the
Depositio
Martyrum
and
subsequent
martyrologies,
is
October 14, which is also his feast day.
The antipope Saint Hippolytus
•
Hippolytus
was
the
first
antipope
in
the
history
of
the
Church,
and, as far as I know, the only one who was also a saint!
•
It
is
uncertain
when
or
where
he
was
born,
but
as
a
priest
of
the
church at Rome under Bishop Zephyrinus (199–217),
•
Hippolytus was distinguished for his learning and eloquence.
•
Origen, then a young man, heard him preach.
•
However,
questions
of
theology
and
Church
discipline
soon
brought
Hippolytus
into
direct
and
bitter
conflict
with
Pope
Zephyrinus,
who
had
declined
to
condemn
certain
doctrines
regarding
the
nature
of
the
Trinity
which
Hippolytus
considered
heretical.
For
this
Hippolytus
gravely
censured
him,
representing
him
as
an
incompetent
man,
unworthy
to
rule
the
Church
of
Rome.
The antipope Saint Hippolytus
•
Further,
Hippolytus
accused
Callixtus
of
subverting
the
discipline
of
the
Church
by
receiving
back
into
the
Church
those
guilty
of
gross
offences,
including
adultery,
thus
establishing
the
tradition
of
eventual
absolution for all repented sins.
•
The
result
was
a
schism,
and
for
perhaps
over
ten
years
Hippolytus
stood
at
the
head
of
a
separate
congregation,
giving
him
the
distinction
of
being
the
first antipope, as well as later a martyr and saint.
•
His
reign
in
opposition
to
Callixtus
lasted
through
the
succeeding
pontificates
of
Urban
I
(222–230)
and
at
least part of that of Pontian (230–235).
The antipope Saint Hippolytus
•
During
or
shortly
after
the
pontificate
of
Pontian,
the
schism apparently came to an end.
•
Under
the
persecution
by
Emperor
Maximinus
Thrax,
Pontian
and
other
church
leaders,
among
them
Hippolytus,
were
exiled
by
the
emperor
Maximinus
Thrax to Sardinia in 235, where both of them died.
•
The
tradition
that
he
was
dragged
to
death
by
wild
horses
may
be
legendary.
It
is
more
likely
that
he,
like
Pontian, died as a result of forced mine labour.
The antipope Saint Hippolytus
Martyrdom of St Hippolytus
The antipope Saint Hippolytus
•
An
entry
in
the
Liberian
Catalogue
of
bishops
of
Rome
for
the
year
235
AD
records
that
Hippolytus
the
presbyter
was
transported
as
an
exile
to
the
island
of
Sardinia
where
he
gained
the
title
of
martyr
by
dying
in the mines on 13 August 235.
•
The
Liberian
Catalogue
further
records
that
the
body
of
Hippolytus
was
brought
to
Rome
from
Sardinia
and
interred in the Via Tiburtina.
•
His
memory
was
henceforth
celebrated
in
the
Church
as
that
of
a
saint
and
martyr,
and
his
feast
day,
along
with St Pontian is 13 August.
•
Because
of
the
tradition
that
he
was
dragged
to
death
by
wild
horses,
Hippolytus
thus
became
the
patron
saint of horses.
The early Papal election
•
The
earliest
bishops
appear
to
have
been
chosen
for
Christian
communities
by
the
apostles
and
their
immediate
successors
who
founded
the
Church
in
that area.
•
As
these
communities
became
more
fully
established,
bishops
were
chosen
by
the
clergy
and
laity
of
the
community
with
the
assistance
of
the
bishops
of
neighbouring dioceses.
•
St.
Cyprian
says
that
Pope
Cornelius
was
chosen
Bishop
of
Rome
“by
the
decree
of
God
and
of
His
Church,
by
the
testimony
of
nearly
all
the
clergy,
by
the college of aged bishops, and of good men.”
The early Papal election
•
As
was
true
for
bishops
of
other
dioceses,
the
clergy
of
the
Diocese
of
Rome
was
the
electoral
body
for
the
Bishop
of
Rome,
but
they
did
not
cast
votes,
instead
selecting
the
bishop
by
general
consensus
or
by
acclamation.
•
The
candidate
would
then
be
submitted
to
the
people
for their general approval or disapproval.
•
This
lack
of
lucidity
in
the
election
procedures
gave
rise
to
rival
Popes
or
antipopes,
and
to
avoid
factions
the
Roman
Emperor
sometimes
confirmed
the
selection.
The early Papal election
•
As
regards
the
question
whether
the
Pope
can
select
his
own
successor,
it
is
possible
that
Peter,
the
first
Pope
chose
his
own
immediate successor, St. Linus.
•
History
records
the
case
of
Felix
IV
who
in
530,
on
his
deathbed,
chose
his
successor,
Boniface
II.
Felix
even
handed
him
his
pallium.
However
the
question
then
arises
whether
the
latter
become
Pope
in
virtue
of
this
election
or
in
virtue
of
the
later
ratification
by
the
Roman
clergy.
Nevertheless,
the
fact
that
the
Senate
published
an
edict
forbidding
discussion
of
Papal
succession
during
a
reigning
Pontiff’s
lifetime,
indicates
that
this
was indeed an example of a Pope naming his successor.
•
Boniface
II,
in
his
turn,
made
the
Roman
clergy
promise
to
maintain
after
his
death
the
choice
he
had
made
of
Vigilius
as
his
successor:
but
fearing,
later
on,
for
the
consequences
of
such
an act, he publicly retracted it.
1
____________
1.
See
J.
N.
D.
Kelly,
The
Oxford
Dictionary
of
Popes
(Oxford:
University
Press,
1987),
pp.56-57.
The early Papal election
•
For
some
theologians,
like
Thomas
Cajetan
(20
February
1469
-
9
August
1534),
the
direct
election
of
a successor by the reigning Pope would be invalid.
•
According
to
Cajetan,
the
power
to
elect
a
successor
resides
in
the
Pope
not
in
a
formal
manner,
apt
to
pass
into
act
(as
the
mason’s
art
is
in
the
mason),
but
in
an
eminent
manner,
inapt
for
immediate
exercise
(as the mason’s art is in the architect).
2
___________________________
2.
Cajetan,
Apologia
de
Comparata
Auctoritate
Papae
et
Concilii
,
cap.
xiii,
no.
736.
The early Papal election
•
This
is
an
extreme
position,
and
other
theologians
would
simply
point
out
that
it
is
not
fitting,
since
the
act
of
electing
a
Pope
precedes,
strictly
speaking,
any
exercise
of
the
papal
power;
and
so
it
is
fittingly
assigned to the Church and not to the Pope.
3
•
For
many
other
theologians,
however,
it
would
be
simply contra-indicated in the present state of things.
•
It
could
well
be
proposed
that
that
as
the
Pope
can
appoint
a
coadjutor
bishop
to
any
other
see,
he
could
do the same to his own See of Rome.
_________________________
3.
See
C.
Journet,
The
Church
of
the
Word
Incarnate
(London:
Sheed
and
Ward, 1955), Chapter 8, excursus 8, 2.
The early Papal election
•
The
Lateran
Synod
held
in
769
officially
abolished
the
theoretical
suffrage
held
by
the
Roman
people,
though
in
862,
a
Synod
of
Rome
restored
it
to
Roman
noblemen.
•
Early
on,
the
Pope
had
oaths
of
loyalty
to
the
Holy
Roman
Emperor,
whose
task
it
was
to
provide
security and public peace in Rome.
•
A
major
change
was
introduced
in
1059,
when
Pope
Nicholas
II
decreed
in
his
document
In
Nomine
Domini
that
the
cardinals
were
to
elect
a
candidate,
who
would
take
office
after
receiving
the
assent
of
the
clergy and laity.
The Papal election
•
The
most
senior
cardinals,
the
cardinal
bishops,
were
to
meet
first
and
discuss
the
candidates
before
summoning
the
cardinal
priests
and
cardinal
deacons
for the actual vote.
•
Imperial confirmation was dropped.
•
The
Second
Council
of
the
Lateran
in
1139
removed
the
requirement
that
the
assent
of
the
lower
clergy
and the laity be obtained.
The Papal election
•
In
1587,
Sixtus
V
fixed
the
number
of
cardinals
to
70:
six
cardinal
bishops,
50
cardinal
priests,
and
14
cardinal deacons.
•
Beginning
with
Pope
John
XXIII’s
attempts
to
broaden
the
backgrounds
of
the
cardinals,
that
number
has
increased.
•
In
1970
Pope
Paul
VI
limited
the
electors
to
cardinals
under 80 years of age.
•
The
Pope
may
change
the
procedures
for
electing
his
successor
by
issuing
an
apostolic
constitution;
the
current
procedures
were
established
by
Pope
John
Paul II in his constitution
Universi Dominici Gregis.
•
The
procedure
was
slightly
amended
by
a
Motu
Proprio of Pope Benedict XVI dated 11 June 2007.
The Papal election
•
Electors
formerly
made
choices
by
three
methods:
by
acclamation, compromise or scrutiny.
•
If
voting
by
acclamation,
the
cardinals
would
unanimously
declare
the
new
pope
quasi
afflati
Spiritu
Sanct
o
(as
if
inspired
by
the Holy Spirit).
•
If
voting
by
compromise,
the
deadlocked
College
would
select
a
committee
of
cardinals
to
conduct
an
election.
In
reality
voting
was
done
by
scrutiny
with
the
electors
casting
secret
ballots.
The
last
election
by
compromise
is
thought
to
be
that
of
John
XXII
(1316),
and
the
last
election
by
acclamation
that
of
Gregory
XV
(1621).
•
New
rules
introduced
by
Pope
John
Paul
II
have
formally
abolished
these
long-unused
systems
and
election
is
always
by
totally secret ballot.
The Papal election
•
Until
1179,
a
simple
majority
sufficed
for
an
election,
when
the
Third
Lateran
Council
increased
the
required
majority
to
two-
thirds.
Cardinals
were
not
allowed
to
vote
for
themselves;
an
elaborate
procedure
was
adopted
to
ensure
secrecy
while
at
the
same time preventing self-voting.
•
In
1945,
Pius
XII
increased
the
requisite
majority
to
two-thirds
plus one.
•
In
1996,
Pope
John
Paul
II’s
Constitution
allowed
election
by
absolute majority if deadlock prevailed after seven ballots.
•
In
2006
Pope
Benedict
XVI
rescinded
Pope
John
Paul’s
change
(as
there
could
have
been
a
problem
effectively
abolishing
the
two-
thirds
majority
requirement,
since
then
any
majority
would
suffice
to
block
the
election
until
a
simple
majority
was
enough
to
elect
the
next
pope).
Pope
Benedict
has
reaffirmed
the
requirement of a two-thirds majority.
The Papal election
Cardinals
formerly
used
these
intricate
ballot
papers,
one
of
which
is
shown
below.
Currently,
the
ballots
are
simple
cards,
folded
once
(like
a
note
card),
with
the
words "I elect as Supreme Pontiff ....." printed on them.
The Papal election
The Papal election
•
The
Papacy
is
attached
to
the
See
of
Rome
for
ever.
Peter
was
prompted
by
the
Spirit
to
come
to
Rome,
the
same
Holy
Spirit
who
assisted
the
Apostles
in
founding
the
Church.
Peter
was
expressly
led
by
the
divine
will
to
unite
the
Papacy
to
the
See
of
Rome
for
all future time.
•
The
Church
of
Christ,
the
Church
of
Peter,
the
Church
of
the
successors
of
Peter,
is
Roman
for
ever.
The
title
"Roman"
is
more
than
a
merely
historical
one
reminding
us
that
after
twenty
centuries
the
primacy
of
jurisdiction
remains
attached
to
the
Roman
See;
it
is
a
prophetic
title
signifying
that
for
all
ages
to
come
the
primacy
of
jurisdiction
will
be
linked
with
the
See
of Rome.
The Papal election
•
The See of Rome is to be distinguished from residence in Rome.
•
The
Pope
can
leave
Italy,
and
go
to
Avignon.
In
ecclesiastical
law,
which
is
always
revocable,
he
could
even
annex
the
episcopate
of Avignon to the universal episcopate.
•
He
remains
however,
by
divine
right,
the
Roman
Pontiff;
and
there can be no other legitimate Bishop of Rome.
•
If
Rome
one
day
should
be
utterly
destroyed,
we
should
then
have
to
say
that
the
exclusive
authority
of
the
Pope
over
it
would
have
become
in
fact
without
object,
though
continuing
to
exist
in
right.
•
The
See
associated
with
the
Petrine
authority
cannot
be
detached
or
changed
by
any
human
authority.
No
matter
where
he
lives,
the
true
successor
of
St.
Peter
will
necessarily
remain
the Bishop of Rome.
4
__________________________________
4.
See
C.
Journet,
The
Church
of
the
Word
Incarnate
(London:
Sheed
and
Ward,
1955),
Chapter 8, 5, B, 3.
