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

[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
Preceded by Linus	Bishop of Rome Pope 79–88	Succeeded by Clement I

v • d • e Popes of the Roman Catholic Church Peter Linus Anacletus Clement I Evaristus Alexander I Sixtus I Telesphorus Hyginus Pius I Anicetus Soter Eleuterus Victor I Zephyrinus Callixtus I Urban I Pontian Anterus Fabian Cornelius Lucius I Stephen I Sixtus II Dionysius Felix I Eutychian Caius Marcellinus Marcellus I Eusebius Miltiades Sylvester I Mark Julius I Liberius Damasus I Siricius Anastasius I Innocent I Zosimus Boniface I Celestine I Sixtus III Leo I Hilarius Simplicius 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 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 Benedict V Leo VIII 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 Currently: Benedict XVI