Saint Soter
|
|
Birth name
|
???
|
Papacy began
|
166
|
Papacy ended
|
174
|
Predecessor
|
Anicetus
|
Successor
|
Eleuterus
|
Born
|
??? Fondi, Campania, Italy
|
Died
|
174 (?) Rome, Italy
|
Pope Saint Soter was a second-century bishop of Rome, born in Fondi, Campania, Italy. The successor of Anicetus, he hold the office about eight years and was succeeded by Eleutherus, his deacon.
Soter's dates, like all of the popes during this period, are uncertain due to conflicting sources. His reign began 162-168 and ended in 170-177.
Soter's feast day was traditionally celebrated on April 22, the same as Pope Caius (283-296). They were celebrated jointly in the Tridentine Calendar and in the successive versions of the General Roman Calendar until 1969, after which they are omitted.
Like nearly all of the early popes, Soter was traditionally believed to have suffered martyrdom. However, the Roman Martyrology does not give him this title.
The name Soter derives from the Greek word "σωτήρ" (sōtēr), meaning a saviour, a deliverer.
Biography
The Liber Pontificalis relates that Soter hailed from the city of Fundi and that his father's name was Concordius. A letter from Bishop Dionysius of Corinth, preserved by Eusebius, praises his charity, saying:
"From the beginning it has been your custom to do good to all the brethren in many ways, and to send alms to many churches in every city, refreshing the poverty of those who sent requests, or giving aid to the brethren in the mines, by the alms which you have had the habit of giving from old, Romans keeping up the traditional custom of the Romans; which your blessed Bishop Soter has not only preserved, but has even increased, by providing the abundance which he has sent to the saints, and by further consoling with blessed words with brethren who came to him, as a loving father his children." (Eusebius, Church History IV.24)
Dionysius further states that he intends to have Soter's letter to the Corinthian read publicly in church, as was done previous with the letter of Clement, thus affording the espistle semi-scriptural status. Unfortunately, Soter's letter no longer exists.
In may have been Soter's time that Rome instituted a special feast in celebration of Easter, which it had not done previously.
Both are mentioned under 22 April in the Roman Martyrology, the official list of recognized saints. The entry about Saint Soter is as follows: "At Rome, Saint Soter, Pope, whom Dionysius of Corinth praises for his outstanding charity towards needy exiled Christians who came to him, and towards those who had been condemned to the mines."[1]
Notes
References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees
External links
- "Caius and Soter, Saints and Popes" in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.
Popes of the Catholic Church |
---|
| | |
Boniface V Honorius I Severinus John IV Theodore I Martin I Eugene I Vitalian Adeodatus II Donus Agatho Leo II Benedict II John V Conon Sergius I John VI John VII Sisinnius Constantine Gregory II Gregory III Zachary Stephen II Paul I Stephen III Adrian I Leo III Stephen IV Paschal I Eugene II Valentine Gregory IV Sergius II
|
Leo IV Benedict III Nicholas I Adrian II John VIII Marinus I Adrian III Stephen V Formosus Boniface VI Stephen VI Romanus Theodore II John IX Benedict IV Leo V Sergius III Anastasius III Lando John X Leo VI Stephen VII John XI Leo VII Stephen VIII Marinus II Agapetus II John XII Leo VIII Benedict V John XIII Benedict VI Benedict VII John XIV
|
John XV Gregory V Sylvester II John XVII John XVIII Sergius IV Benedict VIII John XIX Benedict IX Sylvester III Benedict IX Gregory VI Clement II Benedict IX Damasus II Leo IX Victor II Stephen IX Nicholas II Alexander II Gregory VII Victor III Urban II Paschal II Gelasius II Callixtus II Honorius II Innocent II Celestine II Lucius II Eugene III Anastasius IV Adrian IV Alexander III
|
Lucius III Urban III Gregory VIII Clement III Celestine III Innocent III Honorius III Gregory IX Celestine IV Innocent IV Alexander IV Urban IV Clement IV Gregory X Innocent V Adrian V John XXI Nicholas III Martin IV Honorius IV Nicholas IV Celestine V Boniface VIII Benedict XI Clement V John XXII Benedict XII Clement VI Innocent VI Urban V Gregory XI Urban VI Boniface IX Innocent VII
|
Gregory XII Martin V Eugene IV Nicholas V Callixtus III Pius II Paul II Sixtus IV Innocent VIII Alexander VI Pius III Julius II Leo X Adrian VI Clement VII Paul III Julius III Marcellus II Paul IV Pius IV Pius V Gregory XIII Sixtus V Urban VII Gregory XIV Innocent IX Clement VIII Leo XI Paul V Gregory XV Urban VIII Innocent X Alexander VII Clement IX
|
Clement X Innocent XI Alexander VIII Innocent XII Clement XI Innocent XIII Benedict XIII Clement XII Benedict XIV Clement XIII Clement XIV Pius VI Pius VII Leo XII Pius VIII Gregory XVI Pius IX Leo XIII Pius X Benedict XV Pius XI Pius XII John XXIII Paul VI John Paul I John Paul II Benedict XVI Francis
|
| | Currently: Francis |
|
Catholic Church |
---|
| Organizations, Papacy, Teachings and Liturgical Traditions | | History | | | | Hierarchy | Pope · Cardinals · Patriarchs · Major Archbishops · Primates · Metropolitans · Archbishops · Diocesan Bishops | | Theology | | | Sacraments | Baptism · Confirmation · Eucharist · Penance · Anointing of the Sick · Holy Orders · Matrimony | | Mariology | Mariology · Veneration · History of Mariology · Mariology of the saints · Mariology of the popes · Marian Doctrines · Mother of God · Perpetual Virginity · Immaculate Conception · Assumption | | Doctors of the Church | | | Pope Benedict XVI | Conclave · Theology · Works · Deus Caritas Est · Sacramentum Caritatis · Summorum Pontificum · Spe Salvi | | Preceding Popes | | | Orders & Societies | Assumptionist · Augustinian Order · Benedictines · Capuchin Order · Carmelites · Carthusians · Congregations of Holy Cross · Dominican Order · Franciscan orders · Jesuits · Oratory of Saint Philip Neri | | Vatican II | | | Particular Churches sorted by Liturgical Traditions | Alexandrian · Coptic · Ethiopic · Antiochian · Maronite · Syriac · Syro-Malankara · Armenian · Armenian ·Byzantine · Albanian · Belarusian · Bulgarian · Croatian · Greek · Hungarian · Italo-Greek · Macedonian · Melkite · Romanian · Russian · Ruthenian · Slovak · Ukrainian · East Syrian · Chaldean · Syro-Malabar · Roman · Ambrosian · Sarum · Mozarabic · Anglican Use · Latin · Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter | | Pope Portal Catholicism Portal |
|
History of the Roman Catholic Church |
---|
| History of Roman Catholic Churches and rites including · Alexandrian · Armenian · Byzantine · West Syrian · Chaldean | | General | History of the Roman Catholic Church · History of the Papacy · Ecumenical Councils · Timeline of the Roman Catholic Church · History of Christianity · Role of Roman Catholic Church in civilization · Art in Roman Catholicism · Roman Catholic religious order · Christian monasticism · Papal States | | | Church beginnings | | | Constantine to Gregory the Great | | | Early Middle Ages | | | High Middle Ages | Pope Urban II ·Investiture controversy ·Crusades · First Council of the Lateran ·Second Council of the Lateran ·Third Council of the Lateran · Pope Innocent III ·Latin Empire of Constantinople ·Saint Francis of Assisi · Fourth Council of the Lateran · Inquisition · First Council of Lyons · Second Council of Lyons ·Bernard of Clairvaux ·Thomas Aquinas | | Late Middle Ages | | | Reformation and Counter Reformation | | | Baroque Period to French Revolution | | | 19th Century | | | 20th Century | | | 21st Century | Pope Benedict XVI ·World Youth Day 2008 |
|
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article
in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.