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Name:
Pope Hyginus
Preceded by: St. Telesphorus (125 - 136)
Succeeded by: St. Pius I (140 - 155)
Roman Catholic Pope #9
Dates:
Born: Greece?
Died: c. 0142 CE
Pope: c. 0138 - c. 0142 (c. 4 years)
Feast Day: January 11
Biography:
The records indicate a two-year gap between Pope Telesphorus and Pope Hyginus - something
which may or may not be accurate. It's possible that social conditions prevented the election
of a new pope and it's just as possible that the records are inaccurate. The Greek name Hyginus
means "sound, healthy, wholesome" and is obviously related to the English word "hygiene."
According to the "Liber Pontificalis," Hyginus was from Athens and had a background in philosophy. This is a credible claim and was true of his contemporary, Justin Martyr. Tradition also has it that while Hyginus was pope, the Gnostic leader Valentinus came to Rome and stayed. This, too, is possible - but there is no record of what, if anything, Hyginus did about it. Even at this time Gnosticism was generally considered a heresy and while a complete separation between the Gnostics and others had not quite occurred, it was very much in the works.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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