Difference between revisions of "Pope Stephen I" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | '''Pope Saint Stephen I''' served as | + | '''Pope Saint Stephen I''' served as Bbishop of Rome from 12 May, 254 to 2 August, 257. |
Of [[Rome|Roman]] birth but of [[Greek people|Greek]] ancestry, he became bishop of Rome in 254, having served as archdeacon of [[Pope Lucius I]], who appointed Stephen his successor. | Of [[Rome|Roman]] birth but of [[Greek people|Greek]] ancestry, he became bishop of Rome in 254, having served as archdeacon of [[Pope Lucius I]], who appointed Stephen his successor. | ||
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Pope Saint Stephen I is the patron of [[Hvar (town)|Hvar]]. | Pope Saint Stephen I is the patron of [[Hvar (town)|Hvar]]. | ||
| + | ==Papacy== | ||
| + | Although there is some doubt as to the dates connected with the pontificate of Stephen, it is generally believed that he was consecrated on May 12, 254, and that he died August 2, 257. According to the most ancient lists, he was a Roman by birth, and the son of Jovius. | ||
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| + | Most of what we know regarding Pope Stephen is connected directly or indirectly with the Novatianist controversy which by this time raged in the Christian churches throughout the Roman Empire. Novatian had been consecrated as a [[antipope|rival pope]] to Pope Cornelius a few years earlier in the wake of early Decian persecutions. The issue of his opposition centered on the question of the treatment of those Christians who had committed idolatry and apostasy by publicly sacrificing to the Roman gods in order to save their lives. Cornelius supported readmitting such person to full communion after [[penance]] and [[absolution]]. Novatian insisted that the church did not have the authority to forgive mortal sins such as these. He favored receiving repentant apostates into fellowship, but withholding the Eucharist from them since there sin could be forgiven only by God. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Stephen's most important work was his defense of the validity of [[baptism]] performed by Novatianist priests. Cyprian of Carthage, a primary ally in the Notatianist controversy, however, opposed him on this issue. Cyprian and other bishops of Africa and Asia held that these "heretical" baptisms were invalid, and that re-baptism was required for those who had received the sacraments from Novatianist ministers. The problem with Cyrpian's view was that it condemned to hell thousands of ran-and-file Christians, including innocent infants who could hardly be expected to understand the issue. Stephen's view ultimately prevailed, although the issue of heretical baptism would plague the church in a major way during the later [[Donatist]] controversy. | ||
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| + | In the early part of his pontificate Stephen was frequently urged by Faustinus, bishop of Lyons, to take action against Marcian (or Marcion), bishop of Arles, who had followed the Novatianist policy by denying communion to the penitent ''lapsi'' (lapsed Christians). Stephen did not move, perhaps suspecting that issue had more to do with the internal church politics of the region than Novatianism per se. The bishops of Gaul accordingly turned to Cyprian and begged him to write to the pope, which he accordingly did (Ep. 72). Cyprian entreated Stephen to instruct the bishops of Gaul to condemn Marcian, and to elect another bishop in his stead. Since much of Cyprian's correspondence survives and no more is said by him on this affair, it is supposed by that the pope acted in accordance with his wishes, and that Marcian was deposed. However, inasmuch as Cyrpian's major point—the validity of heretical baptism—was rejected by the pope, this supposition may overreaching. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The case of the Spanish bishops Martial and Basilides also brought Stephen into correspondence with Cyprian. As ''libellatici''—holders of certificates of conformity attesting that they had conformed to the religious tests required by Emperor Decius—they had been condemned by the bishops of their province for apostasy. At first they acknowledged their guilt, but later appealed to Rome, and Stephen supported their restoration. Accordingly, some of their fellow bishops accepted them, but the others complained of the case to Cyprian. As bishop of Carthage, Cyprian assemble a [[synod]] of African bishops which renewed the condemnation of Basilides and Martial and exhorted the people to enter into communion with their successors. The council claimed out that Stephen was "situated at a distance and ignorant of the true facts of the case," and that he had been deceived by Basilides. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Stephen, like his precedecssors, used the wealth of the Roman church to relieve the suffering of churches elsewere in the empire. Thus, we are told, he helped "all the provinces of Syria and Arabia." The ''Liber Pontificalis'' says that he ordained that the vestments which had been used for ecclesiastical purposes—namely the Mass—were not to be employed for daily wear. This source, however, routinely ascribes similar edicts to popes anachronistically, and this report must thus be treated with some [[skepticism]]. The same may be said with the ''Liber's'' report that he finished his pontificate by martyrdom, since it claims this for virtually all the early popes, even when their papacy took place in times of peace. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Stephen I was buried in the catacombs of [[Callixtus I|Saint Callixtus]], and his body was later transferred by Pope [[Paul I]] to a monastery founded in Stephen's honor. | ||
{{start}} | {{start}} | ||
Revision as of 15:51, 11 January 2009
| Saint Stephen I | |
|---|---|
| |
| Birth name | Stephanus |
| Papacy began | ca. 12 May 254 |
| Papacy ended | 2 August 257 |
| Predecessor | Lucius I |
| Successor | Sixtus II |
| Born | ??? Rome, Italy |
| Died | August 2 257 Rome, Italy |
| Other popes named Stephen | |
| Styles of Pope Stephen I | |
| |
| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
| Posthumous style | Saint |
Pope Saint Stephen I served as Bbishop of Rome from 12 May, 254 to 2 August, 257.
Of Roman birth but of Greek ancestry, he became bishop of Rome in 254, having served as archdeacon of Pope Lucius I, who appointed Stephen his successor.
At the time, internal disputes racking the Church were as much a threat as the external persecutions: following the Decian persecution of 250-251, there was disagreement about how to treat those who had lapsed from the faith, and Stephen was urged by Faustinus, Bishop of Lyon, to take action against Marcian, Bishop of Arles, who denied penance and communion to the lapsed who repented, the position called Novatianism, after Novatian, later declared a heretic, who held for the strictest approach.
This led to controversy over whether to accept as a valid sacrament baptism by splinter Christian groups. Stephen held that converts from such groups did not need rebaptism, while Cyprian and certain bishops of the Roman province of Africa held rebaptism necessary for admission to the Eucharist. Stephen's view eventually won broad acceptance.
He is also mentioned as having insisted on the restoration of the bishops of León and Astorga, who had been deposed for unfaithfulness during the persecution but afterwards had repented.
The "Depositio Episcoporum" of 354 speaks of Pope Stephen I as not a martyr.[1] Probably because of a conflation with his successor Pope Sixtus II, who was one of the first victims of Valerian's 258 persecution, it has been said that, as he was sitting on his pontifical throne in the catacombs, celebrating Mass for his congregation the emperor's men came and beheaded him on August 2, 257. As late as the 18th century, the chair was preserved, still stained with blood. Although Emperor Valerian's original persecution in 257 did not order summary execution of bishops, it did not exactly forbid them.
St Stephen I's feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is celebrated on August 2.[2] When the 1839 the new feast of St Alphonsus Mary de Liguori was assigned to 2 August, Saint Stephen I was mentioned only as a commemoration within the Mass of Saint Alphonsus. The revision of the calendar in 1969 removed the mention of Saint Stephen I from the General Roman Calendar, but, according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the 2 August Mass may now everywhere be that of Saint Stephen I, unless in some locality an obligatory celebration is assigned to that day,[3] and some continue to use pre-1969 calendars that mention a commemoration of Saint Stephen I on that day.
Pope Saint Stephen I is the patron of Hvar.
Papacy
Although there is some doubt as to the dates connected with the pontificate of Stephen, it is generally believed that he was consecrated on May 12, 254, and that he died August 2, 257. According to the most ancient lists, he was a Roman by birth, and the son of Jovius.
Most of what we know regarding Pope Stephen is connected directly or indirectly with the Novatianist controversy which by this time raged in the Christian churches throughout the Roman Empire. Novatian had been consecrated as a rival pope to Pope Cornelius a few years earlier in the wake of early Decian persecutions. The issue of his opposition centered on the question of the treatment of those Christians who had committed idolatry and apostasy by publicly sacrificing to the Roman gods in order to save their lives. Cornelius supported readmitting such person to full communion after penance and absolution. Novatian insisted that the church did not have the authority to forgive mortal sins such as these. He favored receiving repentant apostates into fellowship, but withholding the Eucharist from them since there sin could be forgiven only by God.
Stephen's most important work was his defense of the validity of baptism performed by Novatianist priests. Cyprian of Carthage, a primary ally in the Notatianist controversy, however, opposed him on this issue. Cyprian and other bishops of Africa and Asia held that these "heretical" baptisms were invalid, and that re-baptism was required for those who had received the sacraments from Novatianist ministers. The problem with Cyrpian's view was that it condemned to hell thousands of ran-and-file Christians, including innocent infants who could hardly be expected to understand the issue. Stephen's view ultimately prevailed, although the issue of heretical baptism would plague the church in a major way during the later Donatist controversy.
In the early part of his pontificate Stephen was frequently urged by Faustinus, bishop of Lyons, to take action against Marcian (or Marcion), bishop of Arles, who had followed the Novatianist policy by denying communion to the penitent lapsi (lapsed Christians). Stephen did not move, perhaps suspecting that issue had more to do with the internal church politics of the region than Novatianism per se. The bishops of Gaul accordingly turned to Cyprian and begged him to write to the pope, which he accordingly did (Ep. 72). Cyprian entreated Stephen to instruct the bishops of Gaul to condemn Marcian, and to elect another bishop in his stead. Since much of Cyprian's correspondence survives and no more is said by him on this affair, it is supposed by that the pope acted in accordance with his wishes, and that Marcian was deposed. However, inasmuch as Cyrpian's major point—the validity of heretical baptism—was rejected by the pope, this supposition may overreaching.
The case of the Spanish bishops Martial and Basilides also brought Stephen into correspondence with Cyprian. As libellatici—holders of certificates of conformity attesting that they had conformed to the religious tests required by Emperor Decius—they had been condemned by the bishops of their province for apostasy. At first they acknowledged their guilt, but later appealed to Rome, and Stephen supported their restoration. Accordingly, some of their fellow bishops accepted them, but the others complained of the case to Cyprian. As bishop of Carthage, Cyprian assemble a synod of African bishops which renewed the condemnation of Basilides and Martial and exhorted the people to enter into communion with their successors. The council claimed out that Stephen was "situated at a distance and ignorant of the true facts of the case," and that he had been deceived by Basilides.
Stephen, like his precedecssors, used the wealth of the Roman church to relieve the suffering of churches elsewere in the empire. Thus, we are told, he helped "all the provinces of Syria and Arabia." The Liber Pontificalis says that he ordained that the vestments which had been used for ecclesiastical purposes—namely the Mass—were not to be employed for daily wear. This source, however, routinely ascribes similar edicts to popes anachronistically, and this report must thus be treated with some skepticism. The same may be said with the Liber's report that he finished his pontificate by martyrdom, since it claims this for virtually all the early popes, even when their papacy took place in times of peace.
Stephen I was buried in the catacombs of Saint Callixtus, and his body was later transferred by Pope Paul I to a monastery founded in Stephen's honor.
| Roman Catholic Popes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Lucius I |
Bishop of Rome Pope 254–257 |
Succeeded by: Sixtus II |
Notes
- ↑ "Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 133
- ↑ "Martyrologium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 8820972107)
- ↑ "General Instruction of the Roman Missal" 355 c.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
External links
Pope St. Stephen I in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.- His writings
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