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| Stephen I |
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| | | Birth name | Stephen |
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| Papacy began | ca. March 12, 254 |
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| Papacy ended | August 2, 257 |
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| Predecessor | Saint Lucius I |
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| Successor | Saint Sixtus II |
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| Born | ???
Rome, Italy |
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| Died | August 2, 257
Rome, Italy |
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Stephen I was a former pope, serving from March 12, 254 to August 2, 257. Of Roman birth but of Greek ancestry, he became bishop of Rome in 254, as archdeacon of Pope Lucius I who appointed him his successor. At the time internal disputes racking the Church were as much a threat as the external persecutions. Following the "Decian persecution" of 250 - 251 churches split over how to deal with the lapsed, with the strictest approach that of Novatian, later declared a heretic, which led to further controversy over whether to accept baptism from splinter groups as legitimate sacrament. In the early part of his pontificate Stephen was urged by Faustinus, Bishop of Lyon, to take action against Marcian, Bishop of Arles, who denied communion to the penitent among those whose faith had lapsed during the persecutions, the position called "Novatianism". Stephen also held that converts from splinter churches that might be heretical did
not need rebaptism, while Cyprian and certain bishops of the Roman province of Asia held it necessary for admission to communion. Stephen's view eventually won broad acceptance, but in his own life time the persecutions grew more violent. He is also mentioned as having insisted on the restoration of the bishops of León and Astorga, who had been deposed for unfaithfulness during the persecution but afterwards had repented. In Rome, he gathered his congregation to celebrate mass in the catacombs, in the tombs of the martyrs. On August 2, 257, Stephen was sitting on the pontifical throne in the catacombs when the emperor's men came and beheaded him. As late as the 18th century, the chair was preserved, still stained with blood. His feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is August 2.
Preceded by:
Saint Lucius I | Pope
May 12, 254– August 2, 257 | Succeeded by:
Saint Sixtus II |
Esteve I papa Štěpán I. (papež) Stephan I. (Papst) Esteban I Étienne Ier (pape) סטפנוס_הראשון 교황 스테파노 1세 Paus Stefanus I Papa Stefano I Paus Stephanus I I. István pápa Paus Stephanus I ステファヌス1世 (ローマ教皇) Papież Stefan I Papa Estêvão I Stefan I
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