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Name:
Callistus I
Preceded by: St. Zephyrinus (199 - 217)
Succeeded by: St. Urban I (222 - 230)
Roman Catholic Pope #16
Antipope: St. Hippolytus (217 - 235)
Dates:
Born: ? (Italy)
Died: 222
Pope: 217 - 222 (5 years)
Biography:
Pope Callistus I (whose name means "very handsome" in Greek) seems to be something of a contradiction.
On the one hand, his name is recorded as the very first martyred pope (after Peter) in the oldest record of
church martyrs, Depositio Martyrum (c. 354). At the same time, though, he seems to have had a very
unsavory character who was involved in all manner of unethical activities.
Stories tell of how, as a slave, he was entrusted with a large sum of money and charged to make a profit through a form of banking. The project failed, possibly because he swindled his Christian customers, and he was imprisoned. He attempted to achieve death by insulting Jews during services at a synagogue, but was sentenced to the mines instead. He was released in a general amnesty for Christians, even though his name was deliberately excluded from the list - he appears to have had a gift for working with people.
That gift served him well as he insinuated himself in the good graces of Pope Zephyrinus who, being weak, Callistus was able to control. This outraged many, including the Roman presbyter Hippolytus. When Callistus managed to get himself elected Zephyrinus' successor, Hippolytus got himself elected pope by a schismatic group and thus became the first antipope in the Catholic Church.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: Callixtus II
Common Misspellings: none
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