At 15:53 13/08/99 +0100, you wrote:
>
>Today, 13 August, is the feast of ...
>
>* Hippolytus, martyr (c. 235) - according to the acta of st Laurence (cf
>FEAST 10 August), this was the officer in charge of Laurence when he was
>in prison, and was by him converted and baptized; in keeping with
>someone whose name means 'loosed horse', he was sentenced to be torn
>apart by horses
Something wrong here, surely; this Hippolytus was perhaps the only Antipope
to have achieved canonisation. He is commemorated nowadays along with St
Pontian, the Pope, Hippolytus's fellow-martyr, who is perhaps the only Pope
to have abdicated.
Hippolytus, a rigorist, allowed himself to be named as Pope in opposition to
Pontian's predecessor, Callistus, whom he regarded as too lax in his
treatment of sinners.
Both Hippolytus and Pontian were exiled to work in the quarries of Sardinia,
where they were reconciled. Both died as a result of their harsh treatment,
and are considered to be martyrs.
Hippolytus was the author of a work of considerable interest, the "Apostolic
Tradition". It contains a eucharistic prayer (printed in Bettenson,
"Documents of the Christian Church" p. 106) which is the basis of the modern
Second Eucharistic Prayer.
Oriens.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|