Pope Evaristus

Evaristus
Birth name	Evaristus or Aristus
Papacy began	c. 99
Papacy ended	c. 107
Predecessor	Clement I
Successor	Alexander I
Born	1st century AD Bethlehem, Palestine
Died	c. 107 Rome

Pope Saint Evaristus was the fifth bishop of Rome, holding office from c. 99 to 107-108 C.E. He was also known as Aristus.

According to the Liber Pontificalis, his father was a Hellenic Jew named Judah from Bethlehem. This source related that Evaristus was was elected bishop at Rome during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, when both Jews and Christians were heavily persecuted, according the Christian tradition. However, Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History (IV, I) puts his election later, saying that Evaristus died in year 12 of the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan after holding the office of bishop for eight years.

Evaristus reportedly succeeded Clement as the fourth successor of Saint Peter. However, contemporary scholars generally hold that a single bishop did not yet rule at Rome, and the office of pope is therefor thought to be attribute to Evaristus and other Roman church leaders retroactively by later writers.

The Liber Pontificalis also reports, that he divided Rome into several "titles" or parishes, assigning a priest to each, and appointed seven deacons for the city. However, this, too, is thought to be anachronistic, by both Catholic and secular scholars.

He reportedly died as a martyr and buried near SaintPeter's tomb in the Vatican.

Legacy

Very little is known with certainty about Evaristus. His death as a martyr continues a tradition that supposes all the early popes were martyrs and saints. However, in his case there is no confirmation of this, and he is not listed as a martyr in current Catholic tradition.

Two decretals were ascribed to him by Pseudo-Isidore, but they are now considered to be forgeries. His feast occurs October 26.

Roman Catholic Popes
Preceded by: Clement I	Bishop of Rome Pope 98–105	Succeeded by: Alexander I

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Benedict XVI The Roman Martyrology Gardners Books, 2007. ISBN 9780548133743
• Chapman, John. Studies on the Early Papacy. Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press, 1971.
• Fortescue, Adrian, and Scott M. P. Reid. The Early Papacy: To the Synod of Chalcedon in 451. Southampton: Saint Austin Press, 1997.
• Jowett, George F. The Drama of the Lost Disciples. London: Covenant Pub. Co, 1968. OCLC 7181392
• Loomis, Louise Ropes. The Book of Popes (Liber Pontificalis), Merchantville, NJ: Evolution Publishing. ISBN 1-889758-86-8 (Reprint of the 1916 edition. Stops with Pope Pelagius, 579-590. English translation with scholarly footnotes, and illustrations).

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope St. Evaristus
• Writings attributed to Pope St Evaristus
• Patron Saints Index: Pope Saint Evaristus
• Catholic Online - Saints & Angels: St. Evaristus

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