Pope Sixtus II or
Pope Saint Sixtus II (a corruption of
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
, Xystus, "polished") was
PopeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
from August 30,
257-Roman Empire:*Valerian I recovers Antioch from Shapur.*The Goths build a fleet on the Black Sea.*The Goths separate into the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths.*Aurelian defeats the Goths along the lower Danube, bringing many prisoners back to Rome.-Religion:...
to August 6,
258-Roman Empire:* The Goths ravage Asia Minor and Trabzon.* Gaul, Britain and Spain break off from the Roman Empire to form the Gallic Empire.* The amount of silver in Roman currency falls below 10%....
. He died as a martyr during the persecution by Emperor
ValerianPublius Licinius Valerianus , commonly known in English as Valerian or Valerian I, was the Roman Emperor from 253 to 260.-Origins and rise to power:...
.
According to the
Liber PontificalisThe 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 was Greek by birth; however this is uncertain and disputed by modern western historians arguing that the authors of
Liber Pontificalis confused him with that of the contemporary author Xystus who was Greek student of
PythagoreanismPythagoreanism is a term used for the esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were much influenced by mathematics and probably a very inspirational source for Plato and Platonism....
.
Pope Sixtus II or
Pope Saint Sixtus II (a corruption of
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
, Xystus, "polished") was
PopeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
from August 30,
257-Roman Empire:*Valerian I recovers Antioch from Shapur.*The Goths build a fleet on the Black Sea.*The Goths separate into the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths.*Aurelian defeats the Goths along the lower Danube, bringing many prisoners back to Rome.-Religion:...
to August 6,
258-Roman Empire:* The Goths ravage Asia Minor and Trabzon.* Gaul, Britain and Spain break off from the Roman Empire to form the Gallic Empire.* The amount of silver in Roman currency falls below 10%....
. He died as a martyr during the persecution by Emperor
ValerianPublius Licinius Valerianus , commonly known in English as Valerian or Valerian I, was the Roman Emperor from 253 to 260.-Origins and rise to power:...
.
According to the
Liber PontificalisThe 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 was Greek by birth; however this is uncertain and disputed by modern western historians arguing that the authors of
Liber Pontificalis confused him with that of the contemporary author Xystus who was Greek student of
PythagoreanismPythagoreanism is a term used for the esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were much influenced by mathematics and probably a very inspirational source for Plato and Platonism....
. He restored the relations with the
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
n and Eastern Orthodox churches which had been broken off by his predecessor on the question of
hereticalHeresy is the rejection of one or more established beliefs of a religious body, or adherence to "other beliefs." Christian heresy refers to unorthodox practices and beliefs that were deemed to be heretical by one or more of the Christian churches. The term "heresy" most commonly refers to those...
baptismIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
.
In the persecutions under Emperor Valerian I in 258, numerous bishops, priests, and deacons were put to death. Pope Sixtus II was one of the first victims of this persecution, being
beheadedDecapitation is the separation of the head of an animal from its body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by means of a guillotine...
on August 6. He was martyred along with six deacons—Januarius, Vincentius, Magnus, Stephanus,
Felicissimus and AgapitusFelicissimus and Agapitus are second century Christian martyrs. Their feast day is August 7. They were deacons of Pope Sixtus II and were probably martyred on August 6, 258, on the same day as him....
.
He is thought to be the author of the pseudo-
CyprianSaint Cyprian was bishop of Carthage and an important early Christian writer. He was born around the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received an excellent classical education...
ic writing
Ad Novatianum, though this view has not found general acceptance. Another composition written at Rome, between 253 and 258, is generally agreed to be his.
It is this Sixtus who is referred to by name in the Roman Canon of the
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
.. He and his companion-martyrs are commemorated with an optional memorial on 7 August.
Tomb
The following inscription honoring was placed on his tomb in the
catacomb of CallixtusThe Catacomb of Callixtus was one of the Catacombs of Rome on the Appian Way, most notable for containing the Crypt of the Popes , which contained the tombs of several popes from the second to fourth centuries...
by
Pope Damasus IPope Saint Damasus I was Pope from 366 to 384.He was born around 305, probably near the city of Idanha-a-Velha , in what is present-day Portugal, or near the city of Castelo Branco , then part of the Western Roman Empire...
:
- At the time when the sword pierced the bowels of the Mother, I, buried here, taught as Pastor the Word of God; when suddenly the soldiers rushed in and dragged me from the chair. The faithful offered their necks to the sword, but as soon as the Pastor saw the ones who wished to rob him of the palm (of martyrdom) he was the first to offer himself and his own head, not tolerating that the (pagan) frenzy should harm the others. Christ, who gives recompense, made manifest the Pastor's merit, preserving unharmed the flock.
External links