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Pope Fabian
Saint Fabian (died 250), pope and martyr, was chosen
pope, or bishop of
Rome, in January 236 in succession to Pope Anterus.
Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. Vi.
29) relates how the Christians, having assembled in Rome to elect a new
bishop, saw a dove alight upon the head of Fabian, a stranger to the city,
who was thus marked out for this dignity, and was at once proclaimed bishop,
although there were several famous men among the candidates for the vacant
position. Fabian was martyred during the persecution under the emperor
Trajan Decius, his death taking place on the January 20, 250, and was buried
in the catacomb of Callixtus, where a memorial has been found.
He is said
to have baptized the emperor Philip and his son,
to have done some
building in the catacombs, to have improved the organization of the church
in Rome, to have appointed officials to register the deeds of the martyrs,
and to have founded several churches in France. His deeds are thus
described in the Liber Pontificalis: Hic regiones dividit diaconibus et fecit vii subdiacones, qui vii notariis imminerent, Ut gestas martyrum integro fideliter colligerent, et multas fabricas per cymiteria fieri praecepit. (= He divided these regions into deaconships and made seven sub-deaconships which seven secretaries oversaw, so that they brought together the deeds of the martyrs faithfully made whole, and he brought forth many works in the cemeteries.)
Although there is very little authentic information about
Fabian, there is evidence that his episcopate was one of great importance in
the history of the early church. He was highly esteemed by Cyprian, bishop
of Carthage; Novatian[?] refers to his nobilissimac memoriae, and he
corresponded with Origen. One authority refers to him as Flavian.
- succeeded Pope Anterus, (235-236)
- preceded Pope Cornelius, (251-253)
from a 1911 encyclopedia
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