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Name:
Pope Damasus I
Preceded by: Liberius (352 - 366)
Succeeded by: St. Siricius (384 - 399)
Roman Catholic Pope #37
Antipope: Ursinus (366 - 367)
Dates:
Born: c. 305 (Rome, Italy)
Died: December 11, 384
Pope: October 1, 366 - December 11, 384 (18 years)
Feast Day: December 4
Biography:
The reign Damasus I was plagued with controversy which began immediately with his election. At
the time, the Church was not united and a powerful faction supported another person, Ursinus, as
pope. Riots led to the deaths over 100 people and it was only through the intervention
Emperor Valentinian I that peace was restored and Damasus' hold on power was secured. Later,
Damasus was accused of murder and once again the emperor had to step in to rescue him.
Damasus worked hard to increase the power of the papacy - although he himself benefited greatly from political support, he realized that reliance upon such support wasn't enough. He also had to defend his claims to power against similar claims from churches in the East, arguing that although the apostles came from the East, their martyrdom in Rome gave that city a superior claim over them - and over inherited spiritual power. These efforts paid off when, on February 28, 380, Emperor Theodosius decreed that everyone was required to follow the religious rules laid down by "the Apostle Peter to the Romans, and now followed by Bishop Damasus and Peter of Alexandria."
He also seems to have engaged in a program of converting women in Rome for the purpose of having them, in turn, converting their husbands. To a degree he may have been successful because Christianity became fashionable during his reign, although his charm with the women also lead to accusations of adultery.
In 376 Damasus made Jeromeo f Dalmatia his secretary and then had him begin work on a new, authoritative translation of the Old and New Testaments. This helped make Latin the principle language of the Church for centuries to come
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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