Victor I, Pope, Saint

VICTOR I, Pope, Saint. - An African and son of Felix, according to the Lib. Pont., he was the thirteenth bishop of Rome after St. Peter, successor of Eleutherius. The Liberian Catalogue assigns him a reign of about 9 years (186-97?); Eusebius instead, followed by St. Jerome, 10 years (189-201?; Hist. eccl., V, 22, 28). He died on 28 July and was buried in the Vatican. The Roman Martyrology commemorates him on that day as a martyr.

During the pontificate of V. alongside the Greek-Oriental element hitherto prevalent, the Latin one gained strength in Rome; St. Jerome (De viris ill., 34) holds that V. was the first Latin writer. Marcia, the favorite of Commodus, turned to him for the list of Christians deported to Sardinia and freed by the presbyter Hyacinthus (Hippolytus, Philosoph., IX, 12). Of an energetic and resolute character, fully conscious of his authority, V. was the vigilant guardian of the doctrine and liturgical practice threatened by critics and rebellious bishops, who created schisms and confusions in Rome itself. He did not hesitate to excommunicate Theodotus the leather-seller, author of the adoptionist error (Eusebius, Hist. eccl., VI, 28). He faced the question of the celebration of Easter: the Churches of Asia, following the example of the apostles John and Philip, celebrated it on the 14th of the month of nísán, the anniversary day of the Redeemer's death (pascha crucifixionis; v. QUARTODECIMANI); all the other Churches instead, according to the Roman custom, celebrated it on the following Sunday (pascha resurrectionis). Significant contrasts, especially in Rome where many Orientals lived, had occurred around the middle of the 2nd century, and in the time of Pope Anicetus St. Polycarp had come to Rome hoping to persuade the Pontiff to accept the Quartodeciman custom. V. wished to impose the Roman custom on all and ordered that synods and assemblies of bishops be held in all the Churches so that they might give their opinion. There was a dense exchange of letters among the various Churches and all unanimously, from Palestine, Egypt, Pontus, Osroene, Greece, and Gaul, informed V. that they followed the Roman custom. Only the bishops of Asia, whose head was Polycrates of Ephesus, manifested their dissent and in rather harsh words. V. was on the point of excommunicating them, but many bishops, among them St. Irenaeus of Lyons, wrote to V., according to Eusebius, to point out to him that such rigor was not fitting in the case of illustrious and venerable Churches, in a matter that did not properly touch the essence of Christian observance, and exhorting him to have care for peace, charity, and union. It appears that V. followed the advice.

Agostino Amore