Pope Anacletus
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Saint Anacletus | |
---|---|
Birth name | Anacletus or Anencletus or Cletus |
Papacy began | circa 79 |
Papacy ended | circa 90 |
Predecessor | Linus |
Successor | Clement I |
Born | Unknown Rome, Italy |
Died | circa 90 Rome, Italy |
Styles of Pope Anacletus |
|
Reference style | His Holiness |
Spoken style | Your Holiness |
Religious style | Holy Father |
Posthumous style | Saint |
Pope Saint Anacletus (very rarely written as Anencletus), probably identical with Pope Cletus, was the third Roman pope (after St. Peter and St. Linus).
The February 14, 1961 Instruction of the Congregation for Rites on the application to local calendars of Pope John XXIII's motu proprio Rubricarum instructum of July 25, 1960 decreed that "the feast of "Saint Anacletus", on whatever ground and in whatever grade it is celebrated, is transferred to April 26, under its right name, Saint Cletus". The Roman Martyrology mentions the Pope in question only under the name of "Cletus".[1] The Annuario Pontificio gives both forms, as alternatives. Eusebius, Saint Irenaeus, Saint Augustine and Optatus all suggest that both names refer to the same individual. On the other hand, the Liberian Catalogue and the Liber Pontificalis both state that Anacletus and Cletus are different persons.
His name, which is Greek, signifies, if "Cletus", one who has been "called"; if it is "Anacletus", one who has been "called back".
He is traditionally said to have been a Roman, and to have been pope for twelve years. The Annuario Pontificio, which states: "For the first two centuries, the dates of the start and the conclusion of the pontificates are uncertain", gives 80-92 as the dates for Pope Cletus/Anacletus. Some others give 77-88.
Tradition has it that he divided Rome into 25 parishes. One of the few surviving records concerning Anacletus' papacy mentions him as having ordained an uncertain number of priests.[2]
He was buried next to his predecessor, Saint Linus, in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.[3] His name (as Cletus) is included in the Roman Canon of the Mass, and he is commemorated along with Saint Marcellinus on April 26, the feast day called "Saints Cletus and Marcellinus, Popes and Martyrs". Until the revision of the Roman Catholic calendar of saints by Pope John XXIII,[4] he was venerated under the name Anacletus, on July 13.[5] Traditional Roman Catholics continue to celebrate the feast of "Saints Cletus and Marcellinus" on April 26 and that of "Saint Anacletus, Pope and Martyr" on July 13. This is due to the possibility that Cletus and Anacletus may have been two distinct Roman Pontiffs.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)
- ^ "Pope St. Anacletus" in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.
- ^ Find-a-Grave
- ^ See General Roman Calendar of 1962
- ^ See General Roman Calendar as in 1954
- ^ "Early Church History" edited by Carlton Sheedy Monrovia, CA: Verbum Dei Press, 2006
[edit] Sources
- Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-140-51312-4.
- Richard P. McBrien, Lives of the Popes (Harper, 2000). ISBN 0-06-065304-3
[edit] External links
- Writings attributed to Pope Anacletus/Cletus
- The Society of Pope Saint Anacletus, an Independent Catholic association in the United States
Roman Catholic Church titles | ||
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Preceded by Linus |
Bishop of Rome Pope 79–88 |
Succeeded by Clement I |