Pope Alexander I
Early bishop of Rome with disputed traditions and uncertain chronology.
The Liberian Catalogue records his tenure as 11 years, 2 months, and 1 day, during the time of Trajan.[1] According to the Liberian Catalogue, Alexander's pontificate lasted 11 years, 2 months, and 1 day, beginning in the consulate of Palma and Tullus (109 AD) and ending in that of Velianus and Vetus (116 AD).[1]
Quick Facts
- Church
- Early Church
- Took office
- 109
- Left office
- 119
- Predecessor
- Evaristus
- Successor
- Sixtus I
- Birthplace
- Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
- Other
- Alexander
- Feast day
- 16 March (Greek Christianity), 3 May (Tridentine calendar)
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Irenaeus of Lyons, writing in the late second century, lists Alexander as the fifth pope but does not mention his martyrdom.[2] A tradition recorded in the Liber Pontificalis states that Alexander was martyred by decapitation on the Via Nomentana on 3 May.[2] The 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia, written by Thomas Shahan, judges this liturgical attribution to be inaccurate.[3] The introduction of blessed water mixed with salt and mixing water with sacramental wine are also attributed to him.[4]
Among those Alexander I supposedly converted were his jailer Quirinus of Neuss and Quirinus's daughter Balbina of Rome.[5] Dummler records that Alexander's remains were reportedly moved to Freising in Bavaria during the year 834.[2]
What the cited sources add
Some archaeologists identify this Alexander with the pope, but Duchesne denies the identity, noting the confusion predates the sixth century.[2] The Liberian Catalogue gives Alexander's pontificate as spanning from the consulate of Palma and Tullus (109) to that of Velianus and Vetus (116).[1]
References
- Liberian Catalogue; "11 years, 2 months, 1 day. He was in the time of Trajan, from the consulate of Palma and Tullus [109] to that of Velianus and Vetus [116].". facts only, no text reused. tertullian.org
- "Pope St. Alexander I". facts only, no text reused. newadvent.org
- Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander I" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Pope St. Alexander I" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander I" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Saint Alexander I" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander I" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Borrelli, Antonio, "San Quirino su santiebeati.it", Santiebeati.it (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Pope Alexander I (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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