+ St. Pontian (pope 230-35) is the
first pope to have abdicated, or resigned, his office; and St. Hippolytus was not only the first of thirty-nine anitipopes, but
also the only antipope to be recognized as a saint, with a feast on the General
Roman Calendar. Pontian was a Roman by birth, son of Calpurnius. All except the
last few months of his pontificate had been peaceful because the tolerant
emperor Severus was still reigning. After succeeding Severus as emperor in
March 235, Maximinus Thrax abandoned his predecessor’s policy of toleration and
launched a violent campaign against Christian leaders. He arrested Pontian, the
pope, and the antipope Hippolytus, leader of a schism in the Roman church. Both
Pontian and Hippolytus were imprisoned in Rome and then exiled to Sardinia to
work in the mines.
Since deportation was normally
for life and few survived it, Pontian abdicated to allow a successor to assume
the leadership of the Roman community as soon as possible. According to the
fourth-century Liberian Catalogue,
Pontian abdicated on September 28, 235, the first precisely recorded date in
papal history. Neither Pontian nor Hippolytus survived the harsh treatment and
conditions on Sardinia. Pontian died less than a month after his resignation.
It has been suggested that Pontian and Hippolytus were reconciled while in
prison or in exile and that when Pontian abdicated, Hippolytus also renounced
his claim to be Bishop of Rome and urged his followers to end their schism.
Unity was thereby restored to the Roman church!
The readings for Mass today
are marvelously fitting: “Beloved, do not
be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you…rejoice to the extent
that you share in the sufferings of Christ so that when his glory is revealed
you may also rejoice exultantly. “ “If the world hates you, realize that it
hated me first…they will also persecute you as they did me, because they do not
know the one who sent me (my Father in heaven).”
We must embrace our trials,
tribulations and sufferings, our red crosses in life, as they come to us,
either sent by God, or allowed by him, for they always will be turned into gold
crosses of victory – for those who
believe that Jesus is the Christ – and that he took on all of our suffering,
so to transform them!
St.
Cyprian said of Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus: “With what praises can I extol
you, most valiant brothers? What words can I find to proclaim and celebrate
your brave hearts and your persevering faith? Examined under the fiercest
torture, you held out until your ordeal was consummated in glory; it was not
you who yielded to the torments but rather the torments that yielded to you.”
These
two saints have always been among my favorites as today is my birthday (70) – and
the spirit of these readings have indeed followed me throughout my life. But to
help me carry my load – the load of my personal crosses in life, the Lord graciously
teamed me up with one Richard William Steinberg, RN, to form the Joyful
Servants of the Cross (of the Nuptial Observance) – in 2005. We helped carry
each other’s loads until in February of this year Brother Paul Andre, as he is
known in our group – had his red cross of final endurance in his many
hospitalizations to the GOLD CROSS OF VICTORY – when he suddenly began a more
fullness of his eternal life – and now he awaits us all to join him, to thank
and praise God, and his Son, and his Mother and Foster Father – St. Andre – and
all the angels and saints – forever in an unspeakable – there are no words to
describe it – our final life with God in Paradise!
Brother,
I have lived with you and for you for 16 years now, and will continue to do so
until I see you again in the Kingdom!
Our
souls have been rescued like birds from the fowler’s snare.
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