Pope Eleutherius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pope Saint Eleutherius |
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| Bishop of Rome | |
15th century portrayal of St. Eleutherius from the Gallery of the Palazzo Farnese
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| Church | Catholic Church |
| Papacy began | c. 174 |
| Papacy ended | 189 |
| Predecessor | Soter |
| Successor | Victor I |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicopolis, Epirus |
| Died | 189 Rome, Roman Empire |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 26 May |
Pope Eleutherius (died May 24, 189) was an important leader of the Catholic Church. He was the Bishop of Rome from about 174 until he passed away. He is also known as Eleutherus. Today, he is honored as a saint in the Catholic Church.
Many stories are told about him. One famous story says he received a letter from a king named Lucius, who was the King of Britain. This letter supposedly said Lucius wanted to become a Christian. However, most historians now believe this story is not true.
Contents
Who was Pope Eleutherius?
According to an old book called the Liber Pontificalis, Eleutherius was born in Nicopolis, a city in Epirus, Greece. He was Greek.
A writer from his time, Hegesippus, said that Eleutherius served as a deacon in the Roman Church. He worked under Pope Anicetus and then Pope Soter. After Pope Soter, Eleutherius became the Pope himself around the year 174.
What did Pope Eleutherius teach about food?
An old version of the Liber Pontificalis from the 6th century mentions something interesting about Eleutherius. It says he confirmed that Christians should not reject any food that God created. This means that if food is good and safe to eat, Christians can eat it.
This rule might have been made to go against some old Jewish food laws. It could also have been against rules followed by groups like the Gnostics and Montanists. These groups had their own strict rules about what people could eat. It is also possible that this rule was added later to make it seem more official.
The Story of the British King Lucius
One of the most well-known stories about Pope Eleutherius is about a letter from Lucius, the King of Britain. This letter supposedly said that King Lucius wanted to become a Christian. However, there are no earlier records of this event.
Most experts today think this story is not real. They believe it was made up later, perhaps to support Christian missions. Some historians think it was written around the 5th century. Others believe it was written even later, in the 6th or 7th century.
Why the Lucius story might not be true
The story of King Lucius first appeared in a book called The Book of the Popes. Later, it was mentioned in the 9th-century History of the Britons. This book said that a mission from the Pope baptized King Lucius and other British leaders. But this book also said the baptism happened in AD 167, which was before Eleutherius was Pope. It even credited a different Pope, Evaristus, with the baptism.
In the 12th century, more details were added to the story. Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, History of the Kings of Britain, named the Pope's messengers as Fagan and Duvian. Another book, Book of Llandaf, said Lucius's court was in southern Wales.
Some experts believe the original text might have said "Britio" instead of "Britanio." "Britio" was the name of a fortress in a place called Osroene. If this is true, the king might have been Abgar VIII of Edessa, who was a Christian king in Syria. This would mean the story had nothing to do with Britain at all.
When did Pope Eleutherius die?
The Liber Pontificalis states that Pope Eleutherius died on May 24, 189. He was buried on the Vatican Hill in Rome, close to the tomb of Peter the Apostle.
Later, his body was moved to a church called San Giovanni della Pigna. This church is near the Pantheon. In 1591, his remains were moved again to the church of Santa Susanna. This was done at the request of Camilla Peretti, who was the sister of Pope Sixtus V. Pope Eleutherius's feast day is celebrated on May 26.
See also
In Spanish: Eleuterio para niños
- List of popes
- List of Catholic saints
