Sixtus II

Sixtus II (Greece, c. 215 - Rome, August 6, 258 listen)) was the twenty-fourth pope of the Catholic Church from 257 to 258.

Biography

Chosen to succeed Stephen I, Saint Sixtus II or Sixtus II (Latin: Xystus Secundus). Bishop of Rome between August 31, 257 and August 6, 258. Born in Greece, he was elected to the position of Pope under the reign of Emperor Valerian, who unleashed a strong repression against Christians that ended the life of many followers of this religion, including that of Sixtus II himself. He was the first pope in history to bear a name already used by a predecessor.

Pontificate

During the pontificate of Stephen I there had been a break between the Church of Rome and the Churches of Africa and Asia Minor. The former defended the validity of the baptisms officiated by the lapsi, provided they had been done in the name of the Holy Trinity, while the latter denied their validity as they were considered heretics. Sixtus II managed to put an end to the dispute that faced Christianity by renouncing to impose the position defended by Rome. Relations with Cipriano de Carthage, Bishop of Carthage, became friendly again, no doubt because his position was accepted: that it was the responsibility of each bishop, in his own Church, to make decisions on the case that arose. What the two parties were absolutely in agreement with was that the legitimacy of each episcopal see came from its founder or patriarch, who was always, directly or by hierarchy, an apostle: obedience was due to the teachings imparted by him.

His pontificate began shortly after Emperor Valerian had issued an edict of persecution against Christians, prohibiting Christian worship and meetings in cemeteries, located in the catacombs. This last provision required a new law, since it violated the safeguard that Roman law had always granted to cemeteries. They were places where, during the persecutions, Christians met to celebrate their cults, despite the fact that Valerian had prohibited such gatherings.

According to the Roman martyrology, Sixtus II was arrested while he was celebrating mass in the Pretextato cemetery, dying a martyr by being beheaded (according to tradition in the Mamertine Prison) along with some of the deacons who accompanied him at the time of his death. Capture: San Gennaro, San Vicente, San Magno and San Esteban. That same day the deacons Saints Felicísimo and Agapito also suffered martyrdom, and shortly after the deacon Saint Lawrence. He was buried in the Catacombs of San Callisto. In this way the imperial authorities believed they had finished with the Church of Rome. In fact, due to the violence of the persecution, it was impossible to name Sixtus II's successor, Dionysus I, until a year after his death, until news of Valerian's imprisonment and death arrived in 259.

Pope Sixtus II was attributed at some time the authorship of the work Sentences of Sextus, also known as “Sixtus Ring”, a work that is actually due to a Pythagorean philosopher also named Sixtus.

Pope Sixtus II carried out the transfer of the remains of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Her feast day is August 7.