- "Saint Cornelius redirects here. For another saint with this name, see Cornelius the Centurion.
| Cornelius | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Birth name | Cornelius |
| Papacy began | March 6 or March 13, 251 |
| Papacy ended | June 253 |
| Predecessor | Fabian |
| Successor | Lucius I |
| Born | ??? ??? |
| Died | June 253 Civita Vecchia, Italy |
| Styles of Pope Cornelius |
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| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
| Posthumous style | Saint |
Pope Saint Cornelius was pope from March 6 or March 13, 251 to June 253. He was elected pope on either March 6 or March 13, 251 during the lull in the persecution of the Roman Emperor Decius. His election was opposed by Novatian, who maintained the view that not even the bishops could grant remission for grave sins like murder, adultery, and apostasy, but that these could only be remitted at the Last Judgment; Cornelius on the contrary believed that bishops could grant remission for these grave sins. With the help of St. Cyprian, his party prevailed and he was elected pope. Novatian fled Rome, but his followers organized into a sect considered heretical by the rest of Christianity (Novatianists). In Cyprian's writings supporting Cornelius, it appears that the Roman church of the time had 155 clergy and supported through its efforts some 1500 widows and poor (Brown 1987 p 270). After ruling for two years, under the emperor Trebonianus Gallus, he was exiled to Centuricellae (Civita Vecchia), where he died. He is commemorated with Cyprian on September 16, which is not, however the anniversary of his death. He died in June 253.
External links
"Pope Cornelius" in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.- Letters of Pope Cornelius I
- Opera Omnia
- (Italian) San Cornelio
Sources
- Brown, Peter 1987 in A History of Private Life: 1. From Pagan Rome to Byzantium, Paul Veyne, editor.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Fabian |
Bishop of Rome Pope March 6/13, 251– June 253 |
Succeeded by Lucius I |
