| CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: EVARISTUS, SAINT AND POPE |
| J. P. Kirsch
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| Date of
birth unknown; died about 107. In the Liberian Catalogue his name is given as
Aristus. In papal catalogues of the second century used by Irenaeus and
Hippolytus, he appears as the fourth successor of St. Peter, immediately after
St Clement. The same lists allow him eight years of reign, covering the end of
the first and the beginning of the second century (from about 98 or 99 to about
106 or 107). The earliest historical sources offer no authentic data about him.
In his "Ecclesiastical History" Eusebius says merely that he succeeded
Clement in the episcopate of the Roman Church which fact was already known from
St. Irenaeus. This order of succession is undoubtedly correct. The "Liber
Pontificalis" says that Evaristus came of a Hellenic family, and was the
son of a Bethlehem Jew. It also attributes to him the allotment of definite
churches as <tituli> to the Roman presbyters, and the division of the city
into seven <diaconias> or deaconries; in this statement, however, the
"Liber Pontificalis " arbitrarily refers to the time of Evaristus a
later institution of the Roman Church. More trustworthy is the assertion of the
"Liber Pontificalis" that he was laid to rest <in Vaticano>,
near the tomb of St. Peter. The martyrdom of Evaristus, though traditional, is
not historically proven. His feast occurs 26 Oct. The two decretals ascribed to
him by Pseudo-Isidore are forged.
Transcribed by Gerard Haffner |
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