Ursicinus, also known as Ursinus, was elected
pope in a violently contested election in 366 as a rival to
Pope Damasus I. He ruled in
Rome for several months in 366–367, was afterwards declared
antipope
An antipope ( la, antipapa) is a person who makes a significant and substantial attempt to occupy the position of Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church in opposition to the legitimately elected pope. At times between the 3rd and mid- ...
, and died after 381.
Background
In 355,
Emperor Constantius II, who was sympathetic towards the
Arians, banished
Liberius for refusing to subscribe to a sentence of condemnation against
Saint Athanasius, staunch opponent of
Arius
Arius (; grc-koi, Ἄρειος, ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaic presbyter, ascetic, and priest best known for the doctrine of Arianism. His teachings about the nature of the Godhead in Christianity, which emphasized God the Father's un ...
of Alexandria.
Charles A. Coulombe
Roy-Charles A. Coulombe (born November 8, 1960), known as Charles Coulombe, is an American Catholic author, historian, and lecturer. Coulombe is known for his advocacy of monarchism.
Early life and education
Coulombe was born in Manhattan on ...
,
Vicars of Christ
' (), p. 73
Liberius was sent to a prison in
Berea Berea may refer to:
Places Greece
* Beroea, a place mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, now known as Veria or Veroia
Lesotho
* Berea District
Romania
* Berea, a village in Ciumești Commune, Satu Mare County
* Berea, a tributary of the Va ...
in Thrace. The
Collectio Avellana says that Damasus was a
deacon in Rome;
Alban Butler and the ''
Encyclopedia Britannica'' name him an
archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...
of the
Roman Church.
St Damasus, Pope, Confessor (A.D. 305–384)
Butler, Alban. ''The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints'', vol. III, ewtn[Encyclopædia Britannica: ''Felix (II)'']
/ref> In any event, Damasus followed Liberius into exile, though he immediately returned to Rome. Having sworn to have no Pope but Liberius, members of the Roman clergy then chose the Archdeacon Felix as his successor, an action that proved unpopular with the general populace. During the period before Liberius' return, Damasus had a great share in the government of the church.
In May 357, at the insistence of a number of prominent Romans, Liberius was allowed to return. Apparently the Emperor expected Felix and Liberius to rule jointly, but when Liberius returned, Felix was forced to retire to Porto, near Rome, where, after making an unsuccessful attempt to establish himself again in Rome, he died on 22 November 365.[ However, the rival parties remained highly polarized in Rome.
]
History
Liberius died on 24 September 366. The upper-class partisans of Felix threw their support to Damasus, but the opposing supporters of Liberius, the deacons and laity
In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother.
In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson ...
, supported Ursicinus; the two were elected simultaneously, in an atmosphere of rioting. Supporters already clashed at the beginning of October. Such was the violence and bloodshed that the two ''praefecti'' of the city were called in to restore order, and after a first setback, when they were driven to the suburbs and a massacre of 137 was perpetrated in the basilica of Sicininus (as cited in Ammianus Marcellinus), the prefects banished Ursicinus to Gaul. There was further violence when he returned, which continued after Ursicinus was exiled again.
Church historians, such as Jerome and Rufinus, took the part of Damasus. At a synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
in 378 Ursicinus was condemned and Damasus exonerated and declared the true pope. The former antipope continued to intrigue against Damasus for the next few years, and unsuccessfully attempted to revive his claim on Damasus's death. Ursicinus was among the Arian
Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God t ...
party in Milan, according to Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
(''Epistle'' iv).
A decree of 502 under Pope Symmachus ruled that laymen should no longer vote for the popes and that only higher clergy should be considered eligible.
See also
* Papal selection before 1059
References
External links
Henry Wace, ''Dictionary of Christian Biography'':
as "Ursinus"; a balanced historical account, with a detailed quote from the impartial pagan historian Ammianus Marcellinus.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ursicinus
4th-century antipopes
4th-century Italian bishops
4th-century Romans
Ancient Christians involved in controversies
Antipopes
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