Pope Anacletus

Pope Anacletus (died c. 92), also known as Cletus, was the third Bishop of Rome, following Peter and Linus. Anacletus served as pope between c. 79 and his death, c. 92. Cletus was a Roman, who during his tenure as pope, is known to have ordained a number of priests and is traditionally credited with setting up about twenty-five parishes in Rome.[2] Although the precise dates of his pontificate are uncertain, he "...died a martyr, perhaps about 91".[3] Cletus is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the mass; his feast day is April 26.

Pope Saint

Anacletus
Bishop of Rome
DioceseRome
SeeRome
Papacy beganc. 79
Papacy endedc. 92
PredecessorLinus
SuccessorClement I
Personal details
Bornc. 25
Rome, Roman Empire
Died26 April 92(92-04-26) (aged 66–67)
Rome, Roman Empire
Sainthood
Feast day26 April
13 July (additional on Tridentine Calendar)
Venerated inCatholic Church
Orthodox Church[1]

Name and etymology

The name "Cletus" in Ancient Greek means "one who has been called", and "Anacletus" means "one who has been called back". Also "Anencletus" (Greek: Ανέγκλητος) means "unimpeachable".

The Roman Martyrology mentions the Pope in question only under the name of "Cletus".[4] The Annuario Pontificio gives both forms as alternatives. Eusebius, Irenaeus, Augustine of Hippo and Optatus all suggest that both names refer to the same individual.[3]

Papacy

Cletus/Anacletus was traditionally understood to have been a Roman who served as pope for twelve years. The Annuario Pontificio states, "For the first two centuries, the dates of the start and the end of the pontificate are uncertain". It gives the years 80 to 92 as the reign of Pope Cletus/Anacletus. Other sources give the years 77 to 88.

According to tradition, Pope Anacletus divided Rome into twenty-five parishes. One of the few surviving records concerning his papacy mentions him as having ordained an uncertain number of priests.[3]

Burial

He died and was buried next to his predecessor, Pope Linus, near the grave of Peter, in what is now Vatican City.[5] His name (as Cletus) is included in the Roman Canon of the Mass.

Veneration

The Tridentine Calendar reserved 26 April as the feast day of Saint Cletus, who the church honoured jointly with Saint Marcellinus, and 13 July for solely Saint Anacletus. In 1960, Pope John XXIII, while keeping the 26 April feast, which mentions the saint under the name given to him in the Canon of the Mass, removed 13 July as a feast day for Saint Anacletus. The 14 February 1961 Instruction of the Congregation for Rites on the application to local calendars of Pope John XXIII's motu proprio Rubricarum instructum of 25 July 1960, decreed that "the feast of 'Saint Anacletus', on whatever ground and in whatever grade it is celebrated, is transferred to 26 April, under its right name, 'Saint Cletus'". Use of this calendar, which is included in the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal, continues to be authorized under the conditions indicated in the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum; but the feast has been removed from the General Roman Calendar since 1969.[6] Although the day of his death is unknown,[6] Saint Cletus continues to be listed in the Roman Martyrology among the saints of 26 April.[7]

Notes
  1. Apostle Linus orthodoxwiki.org
  2. "Pope St Anacletus, Martyr", The Brighton Oratory, July 13, 2012
  3. Campbell, Thomas. "Pope St. Anacletus." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 27 September 2017
  4. "Martyrologium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)
  5. "Pope Anacletus, I - Find A Grave Memorial".
  6. Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969), p. 121
  7. Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)

References
  • Donald Attwater and Catherine Rachel John, The Penguin Dictionary of Saints, 3rd edition, New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-14-051312-4.
  • Louise Ropes Loomis, The Book of Popes (Liber Pontificalis). Merchantville, NJ: Evolution Publishing. ISBN 1-889758-86-8 (Reprint of the 1916 edition. (Ends with Pope Pelagius, who reigned from 579 until 590. English translation with scholarly footnotes, and illustrations).
  • Richard P. McBrien, Lives of the Popes, (Harper, 2000). ISBN 0-06-065304-3
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Linus		 Bishop of Rome
Pope
79–92		 Succeeded by
Clement I
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