Definition of Terms:

  • Papal Succession:  Papal succession refers to the process by which a new Pope is chosen to succeed the previous Pope upon their death, resignation, or retirement. It is the transfer of authority and leadership within the Catholic Church from one Pope to the next. The selection of a new Pope is typically carried out by the College of Cardinals in a papal conclave, where they gather to elect the next pontiff through a voting process. This succession ensures the continuity of spiritual leadership and guidance within the Catholic Church.

The Successors to Peter

The notion that the Bishop of Rome stands as the successor to the Apostle Peter is central to Catholic ecclesiology and papal doctrine. This concept did not arise in a vacuum but developed through biblical inference, patristic continuity, early conciliar recognition, and historical memory embedded in texts, liturgy, and archaeological remains. While explicit formulations of papal primacy evolved over time, the belief in an apostolic succession specific to the See of Peter is traceable to the earliest generations of the post-apostolic Church. This essay examines the foundations and evolution of that belief.

Biblical Inference for Peter’s Successors

The New Testament does not explicitly describe a line of succession after Peter. However, Catholic and many patristic readings suggest biblical foundations that infer such continuity.

1. Matthew 16:18–19

“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church… I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…”

This passage is understood as Jesus giving Peter a foundational and lasting role in the Church, with the keys representing authority rooted in Isaiah 22:20–22—a passage involving dynastic succession. The Isaiah text describes the “key of the house of David” being passed from one steward (Shebna) to another (Eliakim), suggesting the possibility of an office that continues.

2. Luke 22:31–32

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you… but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus’ prayer for Peter’s faith and his role in strengthening others is often seen as signifying a leadership role meant for the entire community, not just an individual moment.

3. John 21:15–17

“Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.”

Peter is uniquely commissioned to shepherd the entire flock, echoing Davidic leadership motifs. Some scholars argue that this responsibility points to a continuing pastoral office, not merely a personal role ending with Peter’s martyrdom.

4. Acts 1 and Apostolic Succession

The selection of Matthias to succeed Judas (Acts 1:15–26) illustrates that apostolic ministry was replaceable when vacated—implying an early precedent for succession in leadership roles.

Pre-Nicene Fathers and the Idea of Petrine Succession

The Pre-Nicene Church Fathers regularly affirm Peter’s foundational role in the Roman Church and attest to a conscious awareness of continuity through episcopal succession.

1. Clement of Rome (fl. 96 A.D.)

In 1 Clement, the bishop of Rome appeals to apostolic succession as a principle of ecclesial legitimacy:

“The apostles appointed the firstfruits of their labors… and afterward added the further provision that, if they should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them.” (1 Clement 44)

Though he does not name Peter’s successors, the letter assumes a chain of episcopal continuity in Rome and beyond.

2. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202)

In Against Heresies, Irenaeus provides the earliest extant list of Roman bishops:

“The blessed apostles, having founded and built up the Church [in Rome], committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate.” (Adv. Haer. 3.3.3)

He continues the list through Anacletus, Clement, and beyond. Irenaeus uses this succession to argue against Gnostic teachings, asserting that true doctrine is preserved through this public and verifiable chain of bishops.

3. Tertullian (c. 160–225)

Although later critical of Roman bishops, Tertullian acknowledges Rome as the church “with which every church must agree”, referencing its apostolic foundation by Peter and Paul (De Praescriptione Haereticorum 36).

4. Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170–235)

In his Refutation of All Heresies, Hippolytus offers another list of bishops of Rome. While often at odds with reigning popes, he accepts the framework of apostolic succession, and his complaints are about moral failure, not illegitimacy of the office.

Post-Nicene Fathers and Consolidation of Petrine Succession

Following the Council of Nicaea (325), patristic references to Petrine succession become more explicit and theological in tone, especially as the authority of Rome is challenged or compared with other sees.

1. Optatus of Milevis (late 4th c.)

“You cannot deny that you know that the episcopal chair was first established in the city of Rome… in which chair Peter himself sat…” (Against the Donatists 2.2)

This is one of the first direct affirmations of Peter’s chair as a physical and spiritual foundation for episcopal authority in Rome.

2. Ambrose of Milan (c. 340–397)

Ambrose referred to Peter as “the first bishop,” and viewed the Roman Church as holding primacy in charity and apostolic tradition, not merely jurisdiction.

3. Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Augustine affirmed Peter’s role as “the figure of the Church,” and spoke of Rome as holding a unique apostolic authority, even though his ecclesiology focused more on episcopal collegiality. Nevertheless, he did not deny the legitimacy of Petrine succession.

Church Councils and the Recognition of Petrine Successors

While early ecumenical councils focused more on Christological and Trinitarian issues, several important synods and councils recognized Roman primacy rooted in Peter.

1. Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.)

Canon 6 of Nicaea affirms that “the ancient customs of the Church of Rome” are to be maintained, implicitly recognizing its preeminence alongside Alexandria and Antioch. Though not explicitly linking this to Peter, such customs are often understood to rest on apostolic foundations.

2. Council of Sardica (343 A.D.)

Issued a canon allowing appeals to the Bishop of Rome in cases of episcopal disputes—one of the earliest judicial acknowledgments of papal authority.

3. Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.)

In the proceedings, Philip the Roman legate declared:

“No one doubts, indeed it has been known in all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter… lives and presides in his own see and gives the truth of the faith to those who seek it.”[12]

This was accepted without objection.

Ancient Papal Lists

The Church of Rome maintained multiple early episcopal lists, attesting to succession from Peter.

1. Irenaeus’s List (c. 180 A.D.)

From Peter to Eleutherius (13 bishops); Against Heresies 3.3.3.

2. Hippolytus’s Chronicon (3rd c.)

Includes an early Roman episcopal chronology, overlapping with Irenaeus.

3. Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 325)

In his Ecclesiastical History, he lists all bishops from Peter to Sylvester, using earlier Roman records.

4. The Liber Pontificalis (4th–6th c.)

Expands upon earlier lists, adding biographical notes—sometimes legendary—but preserving valuable early episcopal records.

Archaeological Evidence for Papal Succession

1. Tombs and Catacombs

Several early popes are buried in the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, including Pope Cornelius, Sixtus II, and others. The Crypt of the Popes bears Greek inscriptions naming them explicitly, reflecting continuity and veneration of Roman bishops as a distinct group.

2. Basilicas
  • St. Peter’s Basilica was built over the believed tomb of Peter, a site venerated since at least the early 2nd century.

  • St. John Lateran, the oldest public church in Rome, was the seat of the Bishop of Rome and reflects the continuity of episcopal succession.

Inscriptions, dedicatory plaques, and relic repositories in these sites suggest a conscious effort to preserve institutional memory of Petrine succession.

Other Historical Indicators and Non-Catholic Historians

1. Liturgy and Feast Days

The Feast of the Chair of Peter, known from at least the fourth century, celebrates Peter’s episcopal office in Rome. The Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) lists Peter first among apostles, reflecting his ongoing ecclesial role.

2. Non-Catholic Historians
  • J.N.D. Kelly (Anglican): “It is certain that from the early second century onwards the Roman Church claimed special authority, and there is no reason to doubt that she regarded this as derived from Peter.”[13]

  • Oscar Cullmann (Lutheran): While critical of papal claims, Cullmann accepts Peter’s historical role in Rome and the Church’s conscious belief in a succession of his authority.

  • Peter Lampe (historian of early Christianity): Suggests that the Roman community had presiding elders early on, but that by the mid-2nd century a monarchical episcopate with succession from Peter had clearly emerged.[14]

Conclusion

The belief in the succession of Peter’s office in Rome is not a late innovation but a historically traceable conviction rooted in the early Church’s theology of apostolic continuity. Though explicit doctrinal definitions would develop over centuries, the testimony of the Church Fathers, the recognition in early councils, the consistency of episcopal lists, and the corroborating archaeological and liturgical evidence all affirm that the Church of Rome saw itself not merely as a Petrine monument, but as the living custodian of Peter’s authority. Even many non-Catholic scholars, while rejecting certain doctrinal conclusions, acknowledge that belief in Petrine succession is a historical fact of early Christianity.


Footnotes

  1. Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (Yale, 1997), pp. 705–707.

  2. 1 Clement 44, in Bart D. Ehrman, The Apostolic Fathers, Vol. 1 (Loeb Classical Library, 2003).

  3. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.3.3; ANF Vol. 1.

  4. Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics 36; ANF Vol. 3.

  5. Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies 9.12.

  6. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 5.6.

  7. Optatus of Milevis, Against the Donatists 2.2.

  8. Augustine, Sermons 295 and Tractates on John 124.

  9. Council of Nicaea, Canon 6 (325 A.D.).

  10. Council of Sardica, Canon 3 (343 A.D.).

  11. Council of Ephesus, Session III (431 A.D.).

  12. Liber Pontificalis, trans. Raymond Davis (Liverpool, 1989).

  13. J.N.D. Kelly, Oxford Dictionary of Popes (Oxford, 1986), pp. 1–3.

  14. Peter Lampe, From Paul to Valentinus: Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries (Fortress, 2003), pp. 397–415.

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Bible Verses:

Matthew 16:18-19:

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Isaiah 22:21-23:
“I will clothe him with your robe, and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house.”

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Church Father Quotes:

Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202 A.D.)
“The blessed apostles [Peter and Paul], having founded and built up the church [of Rome] . . . handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus” (Against Heresies 3:3:3 [A.D. 189]).

The Little Labyrinth (ca. 211 A.D.)
“Victor . . . was the thirteenth bishop of Rome from Peter” (The Little Labyrinth [A.D. 211], in Eusebius, Church History 5:28:3).

Cyprian of Carthage (200-258 A.D.)
“The Lord says to Peter: ‘I say to you,’ he says, ‘that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. . . . ’ [Matt. 16:18]. On him [Peter] he builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [John 21:17], and although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair [cathedra], and he established by his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity. . . . If someone [today] does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he [should] desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?” (The Unity of the Catholic Church 4; first edition [A.D. 251]).

Eusebius of Caesaria (260-340 A.D.)

“When Vespasian had ruled for ten years, his son Titus succeeded him as emperor. In the second year of Titus reign, Linus, Bishop of Rome, having held the office for twelve years, handed it on to Anicletus. . .(Pope) Clement of Rome succeeded Anicletus.” – Eusebius Ecclesiastical History’ 3:13 (Written in 312 A.D.)

“After the martyrdom of Paul and Peter, Linus was the first appointed to the episcopacy of the Church at Rome. Paul, writing from Rome to Timothy, mentions Linus in the salutation at the end of the Epistle (2Tim 4:21.)” –Ecclesiastical History 3:2 (Written in 312 A.D.)

“Paul testifies that Crescens was sent to Gaul (2 Tim. 4:10), but Linus, whom he mentions in the Second Epistle to Timothy as his companion at Rome, (2 Tim. 4:21) was Peter’s successor in the episcopate of the church there, as has already been shown. Clement also, who was appointed third bishop of the church at Rome, was, as Paul testifies, his co-laborer and fellow-soldier (Phil. 4:3).” –Church History 3:4:9-10 (Written 312 A.D.)

Pope Julius I (reign 337-352 A.D.)
“[The] judgment [against Athanasius] ought to have been made, not as it was, but according to the ecclesiastical canon. . . . Are you ignorant that the custom has been to write first to us and then for a just decision to be passed from this place [Rome]? If, then, any such suspicion rested upon the bishop there [Athanasius of Alexandria], notice of it ought to have been written to the church here. But now, after having done as they pleased, they want to obtain our concurrence, although we never condemned him. Not thus are the constitutions of Paul, not thus the traditions of the Fathers. This is another form of procedure, and a novel practice. . . . What I write about this is for the common good. For what we have heard from the blessed apostle Peter, these things I signify to you” (Letter on Behalf of Athanasius [A.D. 341], contained in Athanasius, Apology Against the Arians 20–35).

Council of Sardica (343 A.D.)
“[I]f any bishop loses the judgment in some case [decided by his fellow bishops] and still believes that he has not a bad but a good case, in order that the case may be judged anew . . . let us honor the memory of the apostle Peter by having those who have given the judgment write to Julius, bishop of Rome, so that if it seem proper he may himself send arbiters and the judgment may be made again by the bishops of a neighboring province” (Canon 3 [A.D. 342]).

Pope Damasus I (305-384 A.D.)
“Likewise it is decreed: . . . [W]e have considered that it ought to be announced that . . . the holy Roman Church has been placed at the forefront not by the conciliar decisions of other churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our Lord and Savior, who says: ‘You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; and I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you shall have bound on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall have loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven’ [Matt. 16:18–19]. The first see [today], therefore, is that of Peter the apostle, that of the Roman Church, which has neither stain nor blemish nor anything like it” (Decree of Damasus 3 [A.D. 382]).

Optatus of Milevis (320-385 A.D.)
“You cannot deny that you are aware that in the city of Rome the episcopal chair was given first to Peter; the chair in which Peter sat, the same who was head—that is why he is also called Cephas [‘Rock’]—of all the apostles; the one chair in which unity is maintained by all” (The Schism of the Donatists 2:2 [A.D. 367]).

“It was Peter, then, who first occupied that chair, the foremost of his endowed gifts. He was succeeded by Linus, Linus was succeeded by Clement, Clement by Anencletus, Anencletus by Evaristus, Evaristus by Eleutherus, Eleutherus by Sixtus, Sixtus by Telesphorus, Telesphorus by Hyginus, Hyginus by Anicetus, Anicetus by Pius, Pius by Soter, Soter by Alexander, Alexander by Victor, Victor by Zephyrinus, Zephyrinus by Callistus, Callistus by Urban, Urban by Pontianus, Pontianus by Anterus, Anterus by Fabian, Fabian by Cornelius, Cornelius by Lucius, Lucius by Stephen, Stephen by Xystus, Xystus by Dionysius, Dionysius by Felix, Felix by Marcellinus, Marcellinus by Eusebius, Eusebius by Melchiades, Melchiades by Sylvester, Sylvester by Mark, Mark by Julius, Julius by Liberius, Liberius by Damasus, Damasus by Siricius, our present incumbent . . . I but ask you to recall the origins of your chair, you who wish to claim for yourselves the title of holy Church.” -Against the Donatists 2:2 (Written 367 A.D.)

Epiphanius of Salamis (313-403 A.D.)
“At Rome the first apostles and bishops were Peter and Paul, then Linus, then Cletus, then Clement, the contemporary of Peter and Paul” (Medicine Chest Against All Heresies 27:6 [A.D. 375]).

Pope Siricius I (334-399 A.D.)

“We bear the burdens of all who are oppressed, or rather the blessed apostle Peter, who in all things protects and preserves us, the heirs, as we trust, of his administration, bears them in us.” –Letter of Pope Siricius to Bishop Himerius of Tarragona, 385

Ambrose of Milan (340-397 A.D.)
“[T]hey [the Novatian heretics] have not the succession of Peter, who hold not the chair of Peter, which they rend by wicked schism; and this, too, they do, wickedly denying that sins can be forgiven [by the sacrament of confession] even in the Church, whereas it was said to Peter: ‘I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven’[Matt. 16:19]” (Penance 1:7:33 [A.D. 388]).

Rufinus of Aquileia (344-411 A.D.)

“Linus and Cletus were Bishops of the city of Rome before Clement. How then, some men ask, can Clement in his letter to James say that Peter passed over to him his position as a church-teacher. The explanation of this point, as I understand, is as follows. Linus and Cletus were, no doubt, Bishops in the city of Rome before Clement, but this was in Peter’s life-time; that is, they took charge of the episcopal work, while he discharged the duties of the apostolate. He is known to have done the same thing at Cæsarea; for there, he had at his side Zacchæus whom he had ordained as Bishop.” –To Bishop Gaudentius: Preface to the Books of Recognitions of St. Clement (Written ca 405)

Jerome of Stridon (347-420 A.D.)
“[Pope] Stephen . . . was the blessed Peter’s twenty-second successor in the See of Rome” (Against the Luciferians 23 [A.D. 383]).

“Clement, of whom the apostle Paul writing to the Philippians says ‘With Clement and others of my fellow-workers whose names are written in the book of life,’ the fourth bishop of Rome after Peter, if indeed the second was Linus and the third Anacletus, although most of the Latins think that Clement was second after the apostle” (Lives of Illustrious Men 15 [A.D. 396]).

“Since the East, shattered as it is by the long-standing feuds, subsisting between its peoples, is bit by bit tearing into shreds the seamless vest of the Lord . . . I think it my duty to consult the chair of Peter, and to turn to a church [Rome] whose faith has been praised by Paul [Rom. 1:8]. I appeal for spiritual food to the church whence I have received the garb of Christ. . . . Evil children have squandered their patrimony; you alone keep your heritage intact” (Letters 15:1 [A.D. 396]).

“I follow no leader but Christ and join in communion with none but your blessedness [Pope Damasus I], that is, with the chair of Peter. I know that this is the rock on which the Church has been built. Whoever eats the Lamb outside this house is profane. Anyone who is not in the ark of Noah will perish when the flood prevails” (ibid., 15:2).

“The church here is split into three parts, each eager to seize me for its own. . . . Meanwhile I keep crying, ‘He that is joined to the chair of Peter is accepted by me!’” (ibid., 16:2).

Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.)
“If the very order of episcopal succession is to be considered, how much more surely, truly, and safely do we number them from Peter himself, to whom, as to one representing the whole Church, the Lord said, ‘Upon this rock I will build my Church’ . . . [Matt. 16:18]. Peter was succeeded by Linus, Linus by Clement, Clement by Anacletus, Anacletus by Evaristus . . . ” (Letters 53:1:2 [A.D. 412]).

Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.)
“Philip the presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See said: ‘There is no doubt, and in fact it has been known in all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles, pillar of the faith, and foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the human race, and that to him was given the power of loosing and binding sins: who down even to today and forever both lives and judges in his successors. The holy and most blessed pope Celestine, according to due order, is his successor and holds his place, and us he sent to supply his place in this holy synod’” (Acts of the Council, session 3 [A.D. 431]).

Peter Chrysologus (380-450 A.D.)
“We exhort you in every respect, honorable brother, to heed obediently what has been written by the most blessed pope of the city of Rome, for blessed Peter, who lives and presides in his own see, provides the truth of faith to those who seek it. For we, by reason of our pursuit of peace and faith, cannot try cases on the faith without the consent of the bishop of Rome” (Letters 25:2 [A.D. 449]).

Pope Leo I “the Great” (400-461 A.D.)
“As for the resolution of the bishops which is contrary to the Nicene decree, in union with your faithful piety, I declare it to be invalid and annul it by the authority of the holy apostle Peter” (Letters110 [A.D. 445]).

Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.)
“After the reading of the foregoing epistle [The Tome of Leo], the most reverend bishops cried out: ‘This is the faith of the fathers! This is the faith of the apostles! So we all believe! Thus the orthodox believe! Anathema to him who does not thus believe! Peter has spoken thus through Leo! . . . This is the true faith! Those of us who are orthodox thus believe! This is the faith of the Fathers!’” (Acts of the Council, session 2 [A.D. 451]).

Pope Simplicius (Died 483 A.D.)

“Those genuine and clear [truths] which flow from the very pure fountains of the Scriptures cannot be disturbed by any arguments of misty subtlety. For this same norm of apostolic doctrine endures in the successors of him upon whom the Lord imposed the care of the whole sheepfold , whom [He promised] He would not fail even to the end of the world , against whom He promised that the gates of hell would never prevail, by whose judgment He testified that what was bound on earth could not be loosed in heaven.” –From the epistle “Cuperem quidem” to Basiliscus Augustus January 10, 476; Denzinger, H., & Rahner, K. (Eds.). (1954). The sources of Catholic dogma. (R. J. Deferrari, Trans.) (p. 64). St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co.)

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Non-Catholic Quotes:

J. N. D. Kelly, Protestant Historian
“[W]here in practice was [the] apostolic testimony or tradition to be found? . . . The most obvious answer was that the apostles had committed it orally to the Church, where it had been handed down from generation to generation. . . Unlike the alleged secret tradition of the Gnostics, it was entirely public and open, having been entrusted by the apostles to their successors, and by these in turn to those who followed them, and was visible in the Church for all who cared to look for it” (Early Christian Doctrines, 37).

“the identity of the oral tradition with the original revelation is guaranteed by the unbroken succession of bishops in the great sees going back lineally to the apostles. . . . [A]n additional safeguard is supplied by the Holy Spirit, for the message committed was to the Church, and the Church is the home of the Spirit. Indeed, the Church’s bishops are . . . Spirit-endowed men who have been vouchsafed ‘an infallible charism of truth’” (Early Christian Doctrines, 37).

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List of Papal Succession: the First 3 Centuries:

  • St. Simon Peter (Died 64 A.D.), one of the Twelve Apostles, crucified under Emperor Nero in Rome.
  • St. Linus (Died 76 A.D.) is mentioned in 2 Tim 4:21
  • St Cletus (Died 92 A.D.) Buried next to Linus in what is now Vatican City
  • St Clement (Died 99 A.D.) Apostolic Father who wrote First Epistle of Clement. Mentioned in Philippians 4:3. Martyred under Emperor Trajan
  • St Evaristus (Died 107 A.D.) bishop of Rome when John the Apostle died.
  • St Alexander I (Died 115 A.D.). Introduced using salt to exorcise Christian homes
  • St Sixtus I (Died 126 A.D.) instituted the Sanctus during the Mass.
  • St Telesphorus (Died 137 A.D.) Irenaeus wrote in 189 A.D. that Telesphorus
    suffered a “glorious” martyrdom.
  • St Hyginus (Died 142 A.D.) Irenaeus of Lyons wrote that the gnostic Valentinus came to Rome during Hyginus’ time as pope.
  • St Pius I (Died 154 A.D.) decreed that Easter should only be kept on a Sunday. Excommunicated the Valentinians and Gnostics under Marcion.
  • St Anicetus (Died 168 A.D.) According to Irenaeus, it was during his pontificate that Polycarp of Smyrna, a disciple of John the Apostle, visited Rome to discuss the celebration of Easter. The Christian historian Hegesippus also visited Rome during Anicetus’s pontificate.
  • St Soter (Died 174 A.D.) Received a letter still in existance from Dionysius of Corinth praising the Church of Rome for its generosity.
  • St Eleutherius (Died 189 A.D.) Hegesippus wrote that he was a deacon under Pope Anicetus and Pope Soter. During the violent persecution at Lyon in 177, the local clergy in Lyon wrote a letter from their prison to Pope Eleutherius. The bearer of this letter to the pope was the presbyter Irenaeus of Lyon.
  • St Victor I (Died 199 A.D.) known for his role in the Quartodeciman controversy, where he excommunicated Polycrates of Ephesus.
  • St Zephyrinus (Died 217 A.D.) placed Callistus in charge of catacombs.
  • St Callistus I (Died 222 A.D.) Buried in Catacomb of Callixtus (rediscovered 1849). Hippolytus of Rome disagreed with Callixtus’s on extending forgiveness of sins
    to cover sexual transgressions and he was elected the first antipope.
  • St Urban I (Died 230 A.D.) buried in St. Callistus’ Catacomb
  • St Pontian (Died 235 A.D.), was banished to the island of Sardinia under Emperor Maximinus Thrax. First Pope to resign to allow election of a new pope.
  • St Anterus (Died 236 A.D.) buried in the Catacomb of Callixtus
  • St Fabian (Died 250 A.D.) buried in the catacomb of Callixtus
  • St Cornelius (Died 253 A.D.) Fought the Novatian heresy with the aid of Cyprian of Carthage and excommunicated Novatian. Buried in Roman catacomb with inscription on his tomb “Cornelius Martyr.”
  • St Lucius I (Died 254 A.D.) tombstone is still extant in the catacomb of Callixtus.
  • St Stephen I (Died 257 A.D.) upheld re-baptism not necessary for converts
  • St Sixtus II (Died 258 A.D.) martyred along with seven deacons
  • St Dionysius (Died 268 A.D.) still extant letter to Dionysius of Alexandria
  • St Felix I (Died 274 A.D.)
  • St Eutychian (Died 283 A.D.) original epitaph in Callixtus catacombs
  • St Caius (Died 296 A.D.) tomb & original epitaph found in Callixtus catacombs
  • St Marcellinus (Died 304 A.D.)
  • St Marcellus I (Died 309 A.D.) banished from Rome Under Emperor Maxentius
  • St Eusebius (Died 310 A.D.) buried in the catacomb of Callixtus.

List of Papal Succession: the Second 3 Centuries:

  • Miltiades (Died 314 A.D.) during his pontificate Emperor Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan (313), giving Christianity legal status in the Roman Empire.
  • St Sylvester (Died 335 A.D.) Bishop of Rome during Council of Nicaea.
  • St Mark (Died 336 A.D.) buried in the catacomb of Balbina.
  • St Julius (Died 352 A.D.) asserted papal authority over the Arian Eastern bishops. Set December 25 as the official birthdate of Jesus.
  • St Liberius (Died 366 A.D.) Emperor Constantius was sympathetic to the Arians, and when Liberius disagreed, he sent the pope to prison in Beroea.
  • St Damasus I (Died 384 A.D.) Presided over the Council of Rome in 382 A.D., which determined the canon of the Bible. Commissioned St Jerome to translate the Hebrew & Greek Testaments into the Latin Vulgate.
  • St Siricius (Died 399 A.D.) first bishop of Rome to reserve title of ‘Pope’.
  • St Anastasius I (Died 401 A.D.) instructed priests to stand and bow their head as they read from the gospels. Friends with Augustine, Jerome, and Paulinus. He died in Rome and was buried in the Catacomb of Pontian
  • St Innocent I (Died 417 A.D.) closed the canon of the Bible in 405 AD.
  • St Zosimus (Died 418 A.D.)
  • St Boniface I (Died 422 A.D.) St. Augustine dedicated some of his works to him.
  • St Celestine I (Died 432 A.D.) fought Pelagian & Nestorian heresies
  • St Sixtus III (Died 440 A.D.) frequently corresponded with Augustine of Hippo.
  • St Leo I “the Great” (Died 461 A.D.) in 452 A.D., he persuaded Attila the Hun to turn back from his invasion of Italy. A Doctor of the Church, he issued the ‘Tome of Leo’, which was read during the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon.
  • St Hilary (Died 468 A.D.) legate for Pope Leo I at the Second Council of Ephesus.
  • St Simplicius (Died 483 A.D.) combated the Eutychian heresy
  • St Felix III (Died 492 A.D.)
  • St Gelasius I (Died 496 A.D.) wrote ‘On the dual nature of Christ’
  • Anastasius II (Died 498 A.D.)
  • St Symmachus (Died 514 A.D.)
  • St Hormisdas (Died 523 A.D.)
  • St John I (Died 526 A.D.)
  • St Felix IV (Died 530 A.D.)
  • Boniface II (Died 532 A.D.) first Germanic bishop of Rome.
  • John II (Died 535 A.D.)
  • St Agapetus I (Died 536 A.D.)
  • St Silverius (Died 537 A.D.) deposed by Byzantine general Belisarius and sent into exile on island of Palmarola, where he starved to death in 537.
  • Vigilius (Died 555 A.D.) First Pope of The Byzantine Papacy, a period when the Roman papacy required the approval of the Byzantine Emperor.
  • Pelagius I (Died 561 A.D.)
  • John III (Died 574 A.D.)
  • Benedict I (Died 579 A.D.)
  • Pelagius II (Died 590 A.D.) strongly promoted clerical celibacy
  • St. Gregory I “the Great” (Died 604 A.D.) instituted the Gregorian Mission to
    convert pagan Anglo-Saxons in England to Christianity. Instituted liturgical
    reforms and the use of the Gregorian chant. A prolific writer, Gregory is a Latin Father and Doctor of the Church. The Protestant reformer John Calvin admired him greatly and declared in his Institutes that he was the last good Pope.