5 Popes who are revered in Orthodoxy (PICS)
Saints canonized before the division of the church into Catholic and Orthodox are equally revered by both faiths. For example, the Apostle Peter, a disciple of Christ and the supreme apostle. Among them are the Popes. Let’s find out about them in more detail.
Clement I
According to his biography, at the age of 24, Clement became a disciple of Apostle Peter and then his successor and, finally, was ordained bishop of Rome. Emperor Trajan then sent Clement to hard labor in the quarries near Chersonesos. But, he continued to preach. In the year 101, he was drowned: Since then, every year on the day of Clement's death, the waters of the Black Sea opened access to a cave with his remains. In the 9th century, Saints Cyril and Methodius found the relics of the holy martyr – they are considered one of the first Christian shrines in Rus'. His memory is honored on December 8.
Gregory I the Great Dialogist
Saint Gregory came from a noble family, received an excellent education and held the highest civil position in Rome – the prefect of the city. After his father's death, he retired, opened monastic communities in the six villas in Sicily that he inherited and, in his Roman house, the monastery of the Apostle Andrew, where he lived. In 590, he was elected pope. The Orthodox Church honors his memory on March 25.
Sylvester
According to legend, Saint Sylvester cured Emperor Constantine of leprosy. In gratitude, he stopped persecuting Christians. In 314, Sylvester became Bishop of Rome. It is believed that he convened the First Ecumenical Council, which condemned Arianism. He approved the position that the sacraments performed by a priest remain effective, regardless of his personal sins. The saint also composed a significant part of one of the most important documents for believers – the Creed, which describes the foundations of Christianity. In addition, under him, Easter began to be celebrated on the same day. According to legend, Emperor Constantine put a white cowl on Sylvester's head, and when he died, he was returned to Constantinople, from where he went to Veliky Novgorod. In Orthodoxy, the memory of Saint Sylvester is honored on January 15.
Leo the Great
The Orthodox venerate him as a defender of the faith. It was Saint Leo who, at the Fourth Ecumenical Council, defeated the Monophysites, who denied that two natures, divine and human, are united in Christ. And, thus, he supported the Orthodox. His memory is honored on March 3.
Martin I
Martin succeeded Theodore I as pope in 649. He spoke out against the Monothelites, who believed that Christ had neither human will nor human activity and condemned them as heretics at the Local Council in Rome. In this way, he spoke out against Emperor Constantine. As a result, Martin the Confessor was sent into exile to Tauric Chersonesos, where he died from the hardships of life and hunger. His memory is celebrated on April 27.
