Pope Urban I facts for kids

Pope Urban I (born around 175, died 230) was an important leader of the early Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Rome from the year 222 until May 23, 230. He was born in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire.

Urban I became Pope after Callixtus I, who had been killed for his faith. For a long time, people thought Urban I was also killed for his beliefs. However, new discoveries by historians suggest that he likely died of natural causes.

Leading the Church: Urban's Time as Pope

Not much is known for sure about Pope Urban's life. Many stories and ideas about him are not based on strong evidence. Even so, he is the first Pope whose time in office can be clearly dated.

Historians have two main sources of information about his time as Pope:

• A history book about the early Church written by Eusebius.
• An old inscription found in the Coemeterium Callisti, which is an ancient underground burial place.

Urban became Pope in 222. This was the same year that Emperor Elagabalus was killed. Urban served as Pope during the rule of Emperor Alexander Severus. It is believed that Christians had a peaceful time during Severus's rule. This is because he did not actively persecute Christians.

Challenges and Growth

During Urban's time, a group of Christians in Rome was led by a rival leader named Hippolytus. This group had separated from the main Church. Hippolytus wrote a book criticizing Urban's predecessor, Pope Callixtus I. It is thought that Pope Urban continued to have a difficult relationship with this separate group.

Because Christians had more freedom under Emperor Severus, the Church in Rome grew. Many people believe that Pope Urban was very good at helping new people join the Christian faith.

Where Was Pope Urban Buried?

For a long time, people thought Pope Urban was buried in a place called the Coemetarium Praetextati. There was even a tomb there with his name on it.

However, an Italian archaeologist named Giovanni de Rossi made an interesting discovery. While digging in the Catacomb of Callixtus, he found the lid of a stone coffin. This lid suggested that Pope Urban was actually buried there. De Rossi also found a list of important Christian figures buried in the Catacomb of Callixtus, and Urban's name was on it.

Because of this, De Rossi believed that the "Urban" buried in the Coemetarium Praetextati was a different bishop. He concluded that Pope Urban I was indeed in the Catacomb of St. Callistus. Many historians agree with this idea.

However, some doubt remains. A list of saints from Pope Sixtus III does not include Urban among the Popes buried in St. Callistus's Catacomb. Instead, it lists him with other bishops from outside Rome. So, it is still possible that Pope Urban I is buried in the Coemetarium Praetextati.

Pope Urban I is considered a saint in both the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. A special item connected to him, called a relic, is kept in a church in Monok, Hungary. In 1773, Pope Clement XIV gave this relic to the Andrássy family.

Stories and Legends About Urban

Since there are not many official records from Pope Urban's time, many stories and legends have grown around him. Some of these stories are made up, while others are hard to prove. Old writings like the Acts of St. Cecilia and the Liber Pontificalis mention Urban, but their accuracy is not certain. He even appears as a character in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

One popular story, which was once part of the Catholic Church's prayer book, says that Urban helped many people become Christians. Among them were Tiburtius and his brother Valerianus, who was married to Cecilia. This story also says that Urban performed a miracle by making an idol fall down through prayer. Because of this event, he was supposedly beaten and tortured before being sentenced to death by beheading.

Another belief, which is now known to be an invention from the 6th century, was that Urban had ordered the creation of silver items for church services. These included special plates called patens for twenty-five churches during his time.

Urban in Art

An anachronistic depiction of Urban wearing the papal tiara

Pope Urban I is shown in many artworks, usually in one of two ways:

• He is often shown sitting, wearing a papal tiara (a special crown for Popes) and papal robes. He might be holding a sword pointing towards the ground.
• Sometimes, he is shown wearing papal clothes and a bishop's mitre (a tall hat). In this depiction, he holds a Bible and a bunch of grapes.

An image of Urban can be seen in a 12th-century painting on a wall (fresco) at Chalivoy-Milon in France.

Other less common ways Pope Urban is shown in art include:

• After his beheading, with the papal tiara near him.
• Being beheaded while idols fall from a column.
• Being whipped at a stake.
• Sitting in a landscape while a young man (Saint Valerian) kneels before him and a priest holds a book.

See also

In Spanish: Urbano I para niños

• List of Catholic saints
• List of popes