Pope Hyginus () was the bishop of Rome from 138 to his death in 142. Tradition holds that during his papacy he determined the various prerogatives of the clergy and defined the grades of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Hyginus instituted godparents at

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

to assist the baptised during their Christian life. He also decreed that all churches be consecrated. He is said to have died a

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

, though no records verify this. The chronology of the early bishops of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

cannot be determined with any degree of exactitude today.

History

According to the '' Liber Pontificalis'', Hyginus was a Greek by birth.Kirsch, Johann Peter. "Pope St. Hyginus." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 13 Mar. 2015
/ref>

Irenaeus Irenaeus ( or ; ; ) was a Greeks, Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christianity, Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology by oppos ...

says that the gnostic Valentinus came to

in Hyginus' time, remaining there until Anicetus became pontiff. Cerdo, another

Gnostic Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek: , romanized: ''gnōstikós'', Koine Greek: �nostiˈkos 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among early Christian sects. These diverse g ...

and predecessor of Marcion of Sinope, also lived at Rome in the reign of Hyginus; by confessing his errors and recanting, he succeeded in obtaining readmission into the Church but eventually fell back into heresy and was expelled from the Church.Butler, Alban. "St. Hyginus, Pope and Martyr", ''The Lives of the Saints'', vol.1, 1866
/ref> The ''Liber Pontificalis'' also relates that this pope organized the hierarchy and established the order of ecclesiastical precedence ('). This general observation recurs also in the biography of Pope Hormisdas. According to Louis Duchesne, the writer probably referred to the lower orders of the clergy. The ancient sources contain no information as to his having died a

. At his death he was buried on the Vatican Hill, near Saint Peter's tomb. His feast is celebrated on 11 January. His feast day in the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

is also 11 January.January 24 / January 11. https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/htc/orthodox-calendar/

References

External links

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Opera Omnia

(Papa Felix IV)
Liber pontificalis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyginus 140 deaths 2nd-century archbishops 2nd-century Christian saints 2nd-century Romans Greek popes Papal saints Popes Saints of Roman Athens Year of birth unknown 2nd-century popes Burials at St. Peter's Basilica

History

See also

References

External links