Pope Saint Clement
Little is known of this apostolic father beyond a few facts. He was a disciple of S. Peter, and perhaps of S. Paul. It is thought that the Clement whom S. Paul praises as a faithful fellow- worker, whose name is written in the Book of Life [Philippians 4:3], was Clement, afterwards bishop of Rome. But there is great difficulty in admitting this supposition. It is certain that Clement, the idol of the Petrine party in the Primitive Church, about whom their myths and traditions circled lovingly, was quite removed in feeling from the Pauline party.
Pope Saint Anicetus
Pope Saint Anicetus, the 11th pope, succeeded St. Pius towards the year c. 153, and reigned till about 168. He condemned Montanism, conferred with St. Polycarp on the Paschal date controversy, and forbade priests from growing their hair. He was martyred and is venerated on April 17.
Pope Saint Martin I
Pope Saint Martin I (649-55) convened a council which condemned the teaching of Monothelism. The Byzantine emperor sent soldiers to kidnap the Pope from the Lateran Basilica. He died shortly thereafter, tortures and cruel treatment having taken their toll. He is the last of the early popes to be venerated as a martyr.
Pope Saint Hormisdas
Pope Saint Hormisdas (r.514-523) was born at Frosinone in the Roman Campagna. Married before ordination, he had a son, Silverius, who also became pope. As a deacon, Hormisdas had staunchly backed St. Symmachus in his trouble with the antipope Lawrence and the pro-Byzantine faction. Elected with difficulty, St. Hormisdas began his career of peace with victory by receiving back into the Church the last die-hards of the Laurentian schism.
Pope Saint Evaristus
Pope Saint Evaristus was the fifth pope, holding office from circa 97 to 105. He was also known as Aristus. Little is known about Saint Evaristus.
Pope Saint Cornelius
Pope Saint Cornelius (251-253) whose feast day is September 16th. A Roman priest, Cornelius was elected Pope to succeed Fabian in an election delayed fourteen months by Decius' persecution of the Christians. The main issue of his pontificate was the treatment to be accorded Christians who had been apostasized during the persecution.
Pope Saint Damasus
Pope Damasus I's pontificate coincided with the rise of Constantine I and the reunion and redivision of the Western and Eastern Roman Empire as well as what is sometimes known as the Constantinian shift associated with the widespread legitimization of Christianity and the later adoption of Christianity as the religion of the Roman state.
St. Peter
Simon Peter or Cephas, the first pope, Prince of the Apostles, and founder, with St. Paul, of the see of Rome.
Peter was a native...
Pope Saint Callistus
Pope Saint Callistus I was pope from about 217 to about 222, during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Elagabalus and Alexander Severus. He was martyred for his Christian faith. The only story of his life we have is from someone who hated him and what he stood for, an author identified as Saint Hippolytus, a rival candidate for the chair of Peter.
Pope Saint Julius I
Pope Saint Julius I (337-352) reigned shortly after the Council of Nicaea and was a defender of Orthodoxy against the Arians. He was a supporter and protector of St. Athanasius . His feast day is April 12
