Pope Sixtus I
Pope Saint Sixtus I | |
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Bishop of Rome | |
Head reliquary of Pope Sixtus I, Zadar | |
Church | Early Church |
Papacy began | c. 115 |
Papacy ended | c. 124 |
Predecessor | Alexander I |
Successor | Telesphorus |
Personal details | |
Born | 42 Rome, Roman Empire |
Died | 125 (aged c. 82 – 83) Rome, Roman Empire |
Sainthood | |
Feast day | 6 April |
Title as Saint | Martyr |
Other popes named Sixtus |
Pope Sixtus I (Greek: Σίξτος, c. 42–124/126/128), also spelled Xystus, a Roman of Greek descent,[1] was the bishop of Rome from c. 115 to his death.[2] He succeeded Alexander I and was in turn succeeded by Telesphorus. His feast is celebrated on 6 April.[2]
Name
The oldest documents[which?] use the spelling Xystus (from the Greek ξυστός, xystos, "shaved") in reference to the first three popes of that name. Pope Sixtus I was also the sixth Pope after Peter, leading to questions as to whether the name "Sixtus" is derived from sextus, Latin for "sixth".[3]
The "Xystus" mentioned in the Catholic Canon of the Mass is Xystus II, not Xystus I.
Biography
The Holy See's Annuario Pontificio (2012) identifies him as a Roman by birth, who served from 117 or 119 to 126 or 128.[2] His father's name was Pastor.
According to the Liberian Catalogue of popes, he served the Church during the reign of Hadrian "from the consulate of Niger and Apronianus until that of Verus III and Ambibulus", that is, from 117 to 126.[2] Eusebius states in his Chronicon that Sixtus I reigned from 114 to 124, while his Historia Ecclesiastica, using a different catalogue of popes, claims his rule from 114 to 128. All authorities agree that he reigned about ten years.[2]
Like most of his predecessors, Sixtus I was believed to have been buried near Peter's grave on Vatican Hill, although there are differing traditions concerning where his body lies today. In Alife, there is a Romanesque crypt, which houses the relics of Pope Sixtus I, brought there by Rainulf III. Alban Butler (Lives of the Saints, 6 April) states that Clement X gave some of his relics to Cardinal de Retz, who placed them in the Abbey of Saint Michael in Lorraine.
Liturgical codification
Sixtus I instituted several Catholic liturgical and administrative traditions. According to the Liber Pontificalis (ed. Duchesne, I.128), he passed the following three ordinances:
- that none but sacred ministers are allowed to touch the sacred vessels;
- that bishops who have been summoned to the Holy See shall, upon their return, not be received by their diocese except on presenting Apostolic letters;
- that after the Preface in the Mass, the priest shall recite the Sanctus with the people.[2]
See also
- List of Catholic saints
- List of popes
- Pope Saint Sixtus I, patron saint archive
References
Bibliography
- Benedict XVI. The Roman Martyrology. Gardners Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0-548-13374-3.
- Chapman, John. Studies on the Early Papacy. Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1971. ISBN 978-0-8046-1139-8.
- Fortescue, Adrian, and Scott M. P. Reid. The Early Papacy: To the Synod of Chalcedon in 451. Southampton: Saint Austin Press, 1997. ISBN 978-1-901157-60-4.
- 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.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Pope St. Sixtus I". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
External links
- Image of Pope Saint Sixtus as seen on a fresco at Chalivoy-Milon in the Berry.
- "Sixtus I. (Xystus)" in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints
- Collected works in Migne Patrologia Latina
Catholic Church titles | ||
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Preceded by | Bishop of Rome 115–125 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- Peter
- Linus
- Anacletus
- Clement I
- Evaristus
- Alexander I
- Sixtus I
- Telesphorus
- Hyginus
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- Anicetus
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- Urban I
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- Eusebius
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- Mark
- Julius I
- Liberius
- Damasus I
- Siricius
- Anastasius I
- Innocent I
- Zosimus
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- Celestine I
- Sixtus III
- Leo I
- Hilarius
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- Felix III
- Gelasius I
- Anastasius II
- Symmachus
- Hormisdas
- John I
- Felix IV
- Boniface II
- John II
- Agapetus I
- Silverius
- Vigilius
- Pelagius I
- John III
- Benedict I
- Pelagius II
- Gregory I
- Sabinian
- Boniface III
- Boniface IV
- Adeodatus I
- 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
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- John VI
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- Sisinnius
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- Paul I
- Stephen III
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- Stephen IV
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- Eugene II
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- Sergius II
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- Benedict III
- Nicholas I
- Adrian II
- John VIII
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- Adrian III
- Stephen V
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- Romanus
- Theodore II
- John IX
- Benedict IV
- Leo V
- Sergius III
- Anastasius III
- Lando
- John X
- Leo VI
- Stephen VII
- John XI
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- Marinus II
- Agapetus II
- John XII
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- John XIX
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- Sylvester III
- Gregory VI
- Clement II
- 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
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- 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
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- Innocent X
- Alexander VII
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- Alexander VIII
- Innocent XII
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