Pope Evaristus
Encyclopedia
Pope Saint Evaristus is accounted the fifth Pope
, holding office from c. 99 to 107 AD or from 99 to 108. He was also known as Aristus.
Little is known about St 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
.
Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History
IV, I, stated 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 eight years.
It was once supposed that all the early Popes were martyr
s. There is no confirmation of this in the case of Pope Evaristus, who is listed without that title in the Roman Martyrology
, with a feast day on October 26.
St Evaristus succeeded St Clement
in the See of Rome
during the reign of Trajan and governed the Church for about eight years, as the fourth successor of St. Peter. The Liber Pontificalis says that he was the son of a Hellenic Jew of Bethlehem
, and, certainly incorrectly, that he divided Rome into several "titles" or Parishes, assigning a priest
to each, and appointed seven deacon
s for the city. He is usually accorded the title of martyr, but his martyrdom is not proven. It is probable that St Evaristus was buried near St Peter's tomb in the Vatican. His feast day is celebrated on October 26.
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, holding office from c. 99 to 107 AD or from 99 to 108. He was also known as Aristus.
Little is known about St Evaristus. According to the Liber Pontificalis
Liber Pontificalis
The Liber Pontificalis is a book of biographies of popes from Saint Peter until the 15th century. The original publication of the Liber Pontificalis stopped with Pope Adrian II or Pope Stephen V , but it was later supplemented in a different style until Pope Eugene IV and then Pope Pius II...
, he came from a family of Hellenic Jewish origin
Hellenistic Judaism
Hellenistic Judaism was a movement which existed in the Jewish diaspora that sought to establish a Hebraic-Jewish religious tradition within the culture and language of Hellenism...
. He was elected during the reign of the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
, the time of the second general persecution
Persecution of Christians
Persecution of Christians as a consequence of professing their faith can be traced both historically and in the current era. Early Christians were persecuted for their faith, at the hands of both Jews from whose religion Christianity arose, and the Roman Empire which controlled much of the land...
.
Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History
Church History (Eusebius)
The Church History of Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea was a 4th-century pioneer work giving a chronological account of the development of Early Christianity from the 1st century to the 4th century. It was written in Koine Greek, and survives also in Latin, Syriac and Armenian manuscripts...
IV, I, stated that Evaristus died in the 12th year of the reign of the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
, after holding the office of bishop of the Romans for eight years.
It was once supposed that all the early Popes were martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s. There is no confirmation of this in the case of Pope Evaristus, who is listed without that title in the Roman Martyrology
Roman Martyrology
The Roman Martyrology is the official martyrology of the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. It provides an extensive but not exhaustive list of the saints recognized by the Church.-History:...
, with a feast day on October 26.
St Evaristus succeeded St Clement
Pope Clement I
Starting in the 3rd and 4th century, tradition has identified him as the Clement that Paul mentioned in Philippians as a fellow laborer in Christ.While in the mid-19th century it was customary to identify him as a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor...
in the See of Rome
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
during the reign of Trajan and governed the Church for about eight years, as the fourth successor of St. Peter. The Liber Pontificalis says that he was the son of a Hellenic Jew of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, and, certainly incorrectly, that he divided Rome into several "titles" or Parishes, assigning a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
to each, and appointed seven deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s for the city. He is usually accorded the title of martyr, but his martyrdom is not proven. It is probable that St Evaristus was buried near St Peter's tomb in the Vatican. His feast day is celebrated on October 26.