| Soter | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | ??? |
| Papacy began | 166 |
| Papacy ended | 174 |
| Predecessor | Anicetus |
| Successor | Eleuterus |
| Born | ??? ??? |
| Died | 174 Rome, Italy |
| Styles of Pope Soter |
|
 |
|
| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
| Posthumous style | Saint |
Pope Saint Soter, sometimes known as the Pope of Charity, was pope from 166 to 174 (the Vatican cites 162 or 168 to 170 or 177). He declared that marriage was valid only as a sacrament blessed by a priest. He was born in Fondi, Italy, and died, according to tradition, as a martyr. He was buried in the Callixtus cemetery in Rome. His feast day is April 22. Soter apparently inaugurated Easter as an annual festival in Rome. His name derives from the word soter (sō tēr) n. [< Gr. sōtēria, deliverance (in LXX & NT., salvation) < sōtēr, a deliverer (in NT., Savior) high priest of the inner mystery of salvation].
External links
"Caius and Soter, Saints and Popes" in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Anicetus |
Bishop of Rome Pope 167–175 |
Succeeded by Eleuterus |
