Pope Soter facts for kids

Pope Soter was the leader of the Catholic Church in Rome. He served as Pope from about 167 AD until his death around 174 AD. He was born in Fondi, a town in what is now Italy.

Pope Soter is known for two important things. He said that marriage was a special religious ceremony that needed to be blessed by a priest. He also officially started celebrating Easter as an annual festival in Rome. His name, Soter, comes from a Greek word meaning "saviour." This was his birth name, as popes did not start choosing new names until much later.

Saint Soter's Feast Day

Saint Soter's special day, called a feast day, is celebrated on April 22. This is the same day as Saint Caius. The Roman Martyrology is an official list of recognized saints. It mentions Pope Soter, praising him for his great kindness. He showed amazing charity to Christians who were poor or had been forced to leave their homes. He also helped those who were sent to work in mines.

Many people used to think that all the early Popes were martyrs. A martyr is someone who dies for their faith. However, the Roman Martyrology does not call Pope Soter a martyr. There is no strong evidence to say that Saint Soter died for his faith.

Dealing with New Christian Groups

During Pope Soter's time, new Christian groups appeared. One of these was called the Montanist movement. It started in a place called Asia Minor. This group eventually came to Rome and other areas. At first, it was not seen as a completely different religion.

Later, during a time of harsh persecution in 177 AD, some Christians wrote letters from prison. They wrote about the Montanist movement to other Christian communities. They also wrote to Pope Eleutherius, who became Pope after Soter. These letters were carried by a priest named Irenaeus. The Christians who wrote the letters did not agree with the Montanists. But they asked for patience and wanted to keep the Christian church united.

It is not exactly clear when the Roman church officially decided against Montanism. One writer, Tertullian, said that a Roman bishop had sent friendly letters to the Montanists. But then, because of complaints, the Pope had to take back these letters. Another old book says that "Holy Soter, Pope of the City, wrote a book against them." This shows that Pope Soter was involved in guiding the church during these times. At the same time, other groups like the Gnostics and Marcionites were also teaching ideas that were different from the main Catholic Church.

See also

• List of Catholic saints
• List of popes