Zephyrinus

Saint Zephyrinus
Saint Zephyrinus
Birth name	Zephyrinus
Papacy began	199
Papacy ended	December 20, 217
Predecessor	Victor I
Successor	Callixtus I
Born	???; Rome, Italy
Died	December 20 217; Rome, Italy

Revision as of 23:03, 12 June 2008

Pope Saint Zephyrinus was pope from 199 to 217.

He was a Roman who had ruled as head bishop for close to 20 years, and was elected to the Papacy upon the death of the previous pope, Victor. Zephyrinus was succeeded, upon his death on December 20, 217, by his principal advisor, Callixtus.

Papacy

Decrees

Following the precedents set by his predecessor Cornelius I and Lucius I in the Novatianist controversy, Zephyrinus decreed that sinners who had been excommunicated for serious sins could be received back into the Church after completing a penance prescribed by Church officials.

He also decreed that the Holy Communion only be received by those 14 and older, a rule which remained unchanged until Pope Pius X (1903-1914) lowered it to seven years of age, which he called "the age of reason."

After the death of Pope Victor I in 198, Zephyrinus was elected his successor and consecrated as pope. He is described by Hippolytus in the "Philosophymena" (IX, xi) as a simple man without education. However, it must be kept in mind that Hippolytus was Zephyrinus' bitter rival and even an anti-pope to him. Nevertheless, it may be true that Zephyrinus had not engaged in higher theological studies, but had devoted himself to the practical administration of the Church. Immediately after his elevation to the Roman See, Zephyrinus called to Rome the confessor Callixtus, had been freed from servitude in the mines under Pope Victor, and advised Zephyrinus as his archdeacon. Zephyrinus placed Callixtus in charge of the Christian cemetery on the Via Appia.

However, the position of the Christians, which had remained favorable in the first years of the government of Emperor Septimus Severus (193-211), grew constantly worse. In 202 or 203 the emperor issued an edict of persecution which forbade conversion to Christianity under the severest penalties. However, nothing is known specifically about the execution of the edict in Rome itself, nor of any martyrs of the Roman Church in this era.

Internally serious disputes arose within the Roman Church over the doctrine of the Trinity. The adherents of the teacher Theodotus the Tanner, who had been excommunicated with their by Pope Victor, formed an independent community at Rome. The group affirmed that Christ, though born of a virgin, was not the Incarnation of God from his birth, but received God's divine power at his baptism by John the Baptist. The sect came to be led by a Christian of great repute, Bishop Natalis, a confessor who had acknowledged his faith without wavering before a Roman judge and had suffered torture. Natalis, after being warned in his dreams, determined to repent of his heresy. He reportedly put on penitential garment, covered himself with ashes, and threw himself with tears at the feet of Zephyrinus. He confessed his wrong-doing and begged to be received again into the communion of the Church, which was finally granted him (Eusebius, "Hist. eccl.", V, xxxii).

In the same era the adherents of Montanus also worked with great energy at Rome.

The future saint Hippolytus was the most important theologian among the Roman presbyters of this era. He was an avowed adherent of the doctrine of the theology which taught that the Divine Logos, which became man in Christ, was a distinct person from God the Father. An opposing school of theological thought was represented at Rome by Cleomenes and particularly by Sabellius. These men themselves were strong opponents of the Theodotians, but they disagreed with Hippolytus in that they were not willing to acknowledge the incarnation of the Logos as distinct from the Father. They emphasized above all the absolute unity (monarchia) of God. They thus explained the Incarnation as a manifestation or mode of the God being. Consequently they were called Modalists or Monarchians.

Since Christian populace themselves held firmly to the Unity of God and at the same time to the true Godhead of Christ, at no distrust of this doctrine was felt among them. Pope Zephyrinus himself did not speak out authoritatively in the dispute between the two schools. Hippolytus urged that the pope should approve of a distinct dogma which affirmed that the person of Christ is actually different from that of the Father and condemned the opposing views of the Monarchians. However, Zephyrinus would not consent to this. The result was that Hippolytus grew constantly more irritated and angry against he pope and particularly against the deacon Callixtus whom Hyppolytus blamed for the pope's inaction. When after the death of Zephyrinus, Callixtus was elected Roman bishop, Hippolytus withdrew from the Church with his scholars, created a schism, and made himself a rival pope.

Conflicts

During Zephyrinus' reign, the persecution of Christians by the Roman government markedly worsened. Some of this is tied to the fact that three years into his rule, the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus held a celebration to mark his tenth anniversary as emperor. Christians did not attend the event. Later in the year, as part of part of an effort by to create a unified Roman religion, Septimus issued an edict which forbade conversion to Christianity under the severest penalties.

A second major incident during the rule of Zephyrinus led to one of the first major divisions of the Roman Church. The Monarchianism movement, a movement which had been declared heretical, was growing rapidly. Zephyrinus was relatively tolerant of the movement. He denounced the Monarchaists on the advice of his archdeacon, the future Callixtus, but reportedly took no other action. The renowned theologian Hippolytus heavily criticized him for this. Hippolytus accused Zephyrinus of even favoring the Christological heresies of the Monarchians. He also accused Zephyrinus of subverting the discipline of the Church by receiving sinners back into the Church who had been found guilty of grave sins.

Upon the death of the pope, and the election of Callixtus, Hippolytus and a number of his scholars left the Church, and the Church entered into its first division. For over ten years Hippolytus stood at the head of a separate congregation, possibly as bishop, and is sometimes considered the first Antipope.

The feast of Pope Zephyrinus, which was formerly held on 26 August,^[1] is now celebrated on 20 December, the day of his death.^[2]

Zephyrinus was buried in a separate sepulchral chamber over the cemetery of Calistus on the Via Appia (cf. Wilpert, "Die papstgruber und die Suciliengruft in der Katakombe des hl. Kallistus", Freiburg, 1909, 91 sqq.). The "Liber Pontificalis" attributes two Decrees to Zephyrinus; one on the ordination of the clergy and the other on the Eucharistic Liturgy in the title churches of Rome. The author of the biography has ascribed these Decrees to the pope arbitrarily and without historical basis.

He was a Roman. He ruled as head bishop for nearly 20 years, but mostly under the strong influence of his deacon and successor, Pope Callistus I (217-222).

Prayers for the dead Tertullian writes in his On Monogamy that a good widow prays for her dead husband. The first record of prayers for the dead, of the early church writers.

Church conflict He lived during the time when the bishops of Rome were struggling for control, and arguing over which is the "true" church. Montanism and Monarchianism heresies were strong within the church, which were supported by many clergy and bishops. Differences in church doctrine resulted in the first Antipope, Hippolytus (217-235), who would be declared head by a separate majority of bishops.

Hippolytus attacked all the heresies within the church, including Zephyrinus for not doing anything about them, and actually supporting Modalism. Hippolytus complained in his Apostolic Tradition that under Zephyrinus’ leadership, the church became corrupt and public worship a scandal.

Roman Persecution Christian persecutions continued throughout the Empire from about 202-211, under Emperor Septimius Severus, who sought for a single common religion. Septimius made no new laws regarding this, and is believed to have even had Christians within his household. The church at Rome had almost absolute peace under his protection; however, numerous persecutions outside of Rome continued.

Edict of Caracalla In 212, persecution of Jews and Christians was lifted when Emperor Caracalla issued the Edict of Caracalla, which granted full citizenship for all free people of the Roman Empire. A century later, under Emperor Constantine, this would end.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

↑ Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 136
↑ Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)

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Books

Rendina, Claudio, The Popes Histories and Secrets (2002)

Roman Catholic Popes
Preceded by: Victor I	Bishop of Rome Pope 199–217	Succeeded by: Callixtus I

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[1] Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 136

[2] Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 He also decreed that the Holy Communion only be received by those 14 and older, a rule which remained unchanged until [[Pope Pius X]] (1903-1914) lowered it to seven years of age, which he called "the age of reason."
+After the death of [[Pope Victor I]] in 198, Zephyrinus was elected his successor and consecrated as pope. He is described by Hippolytus in the "Philosophymena" (IX, xi) as a simple man without education. However, it must be kept in mind that Hippolytus was Zephyrinus' bitter rival and even an anti-pope to him. Nevertheless, it may be true that Zephyrinus had not engaged in higher theological studies, but had devoted himself to the practical administration of the Church. Immediately after his elevation to the Roman See, Zephyrinus called to Rome the [[confessor]] Callixtus, had been freed from servitude in the mines under Pope Victor, and advised Zephyrinus as his archdeacon. Zephyrinus placed Callixtus in charge of the Christian cemetery on the [[Via Appia]].
+However, the position of the Christians, which had remained favorable in the first years of the government of Emperor [[Septimus Severus]] (193-211), grew constantly worse. In 202 or 203 the emperor issued an edict of persecution which forbade conversion to Christianity under the severest penalties. However, nothing is known specifically about the execution of the edict in Rome itself, nor of any martyrs of the Roman Church in this era.
+Internally serious disputes arose within the Roman Church over the doctrine of the [[Trinity]]. The adherents of the teacher Theodotus the Tanner, who had been excommunicated with their  by Pope Victor, formed an independent community at Rome. The group affirmed that Christ, though born of a virgin, was not the Incarnation of God from his birth, but received God's divine power at his baptism by John the Baptist. The sect came to be led by a Christian of great repute, Bishop Natalis, a confessor who had acknowledged his faith without wavering before a Roman judge and had suffered torture. Natalis, after being warned in his dreams, determined to repent of his heresy. He reportedly put on penitential garment, covered himself with ashes, and threw himself with tears at the feet of Zephyrinus. He confessed his wrong-doing and begged to be received again into the communion of the Church, which was finally granted him (Eusebius, "Hist. eccl.", V, xxxii).
+In the same era the adherents of [[Montanus]] also worked with great energy at Rome.
+The future saint [[Hippolytus]] was the most important theologian among the Roman presbyters of this era. He was an avowed adherent of the doctrine of the theology which taught that the Divine Logos, which became man in Christ, was a distinct person from [[God the Father]]. An opposing school of theological thought was represented at Rome by Cleomenes and particularly by [[Sabellius]]. These men themselves were strong opponents of the Theodotians, but they disagreed with Hippolytus in that they were not willing to acknowledge the incarnation of the Logos as distinct from the Father. They emphasized above all the absolute unity (monarchia) of God. They thus explained the [[Incarnation]] as a manifestation or mode of the God being. Consequently they were called Modalists or Monarchians.
+Since Christian populace themselves held firmly to the Unity of God and at the same time to the true Godhead of Christ, at no distrust of this doctrine was felt among them. Pope Zephyrinus himself did not speak out authoritatively in the dispute between the two schools. Hippolytus urged that the pope should approve of a distinct dogma which affirmed that the person of Christ is actually different from that of the Father and condemned the opposing views of the Monarchians. However, Zephyrinus would not consent to this. The result was that Hippolytus grew constantly more irritated and angry against he pope and particularly against the deacon Callixtus whom Hyppolytus blamed for the pope's inaction. When after the death of Zephyrinus, Callixtus was elected Roman bishop, Hippolytus withdrew from the Church with his scholars, created a schism, and made himself a rival pope.
 ===Conflicts===
@@ Line 32: / Line 45: @@
 The feast of Pope Zephyrinus, which was formerly held on 26 August,<ref>''Calendarium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 136</ref> is now celebrated on 20 December, the day of his death.<ref>''Martyrologium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)</ref>
 ---------
-Hippolytus was the most important theologian among the Roman presbyters of this era. He was an avowed adherent of the doctrine of the Divine Logos. He taught that the Divine Logos became man in Christ, that the Logos differs in every thing from God, that he is the mediary between God and the world of creatures. This doctrine in the form in which it was set forth by Hippolytus and his school aroused many doubts, and another theological school appeared in opposition to it. This latter school was represented at Rome in this era by Cleomenes and particularly by Sabellius. These men were rigid opponents of the Theodotians, but were not willing to acknowledge the incarnation of the Logos, and emphasized above all the absolute unity (monarchia) of God. They explained the Incarnation of Christ in the sense that this was another manifestation (modus) of God in His union with human nature. Consequently they were called Modalists or Patripassians, as according to them it was not the Son of God but the Father Who had been crucified. The Christian common people held firmly, above all, to the Unity of God and at the same time to the true Godhead of Jesus Christ. Originally no distrust of this doctrine was felt among them. Pope Zephyrinus did not interpose authoritatively in the dispute between the two schools. The heresy of the Modalists was not at first clearly evident, and the doctrine of Hippolytus offered many difficulties as regards the tradition of the Church. Zephyrinus said simply that he acknowledged only one God, and this was the Lord Jesus Christ, but it was the Son, not the Father, Who had died. This was the doctrine of the tradition of the Church. Hippolytus urged that the pope should approve of a distinct dogma which represented the Person of Christ as actually different from that of the Father and condemned the opposing views of the Monarchians and Patripassians. However, Zephyrinus would not consent to this. The result was that Hippolytus grew constantly more irritated and angry against he pope and particularly against the deacon Callistus whom, as the councillor of the pope, he made responsible for the position of the latter. When after the death of Zephyrinus Callistus was elected Roman bishop, Hippolytus withdrew from the Church with his scholars, caused a schism, and made himself a rival bishop.
 Zephyrinus was buried in a separate sepulchral chamber over the cemetery of Calistus on the Via Appia (cf. Wilpert, "Die papstgruber und die Suciliengruft in der Katakombe des hl. Kallistus", Freiburg, 1909, 91 sqq.). The "Liber Pontificalis" attributes two Decrees to Zephyrinus; one on the ordination of the clergy and the other on the Eucharistic Liturgy in the title churches of Rome. The author of the biography has ascribed these Decrees to the pope arbitrarily and without historical basis.