Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Today all over Christendom there are huge feastday celebrations for St. Pontian and Hippolytus...



Who?

Kidding.  I just made that up.

But get this!  St. Hippolytus was like a rad-trad rigorist and an anti-pope!  Is that so amazing or what?  See, you can be anything and become a saint - so long as you repent - oh, and dying a martyr helps too.
Hippolytus was a rigorist, a vehement and intransigent man for whom even orthodox doctrine and practice were not purified enough.
Hippolytus. As a priest in Rome, Hippolytus (the name means “a horse turned loose”) was at first “holier than the Church.” He censured the pope for not coming down hard enough on a certain heresy—calling him a tool in the hands of one Callistus, a deacon—and coming close to advocating the opposite heresy himself. When Callistus was elected pope, Hippolytus accused him of being too lenient with penitents, and had himself elected antipope by a group of followers. He felt that the Church must be composed of pure souls uncompromisingly separated from the world: Hippolytus evidently thought that his group fitted the description. He remained in schism through the reigns of three popes. In 235 he was also banished to the island of Sardinia. Shortly before or after this event, he was reconciled to the Church, and died with Pope Pontian in exile.  

BTW...

Pontian was banished to exile by the Roman emperor in 235, and resigned so that a successor could be elected in Rome.  
[And the liturgy went downhill from there.]

Isn't that interesting? 

I know!



Downtown Mayberry.

 

4 comments:

  1. So...a Saint for Rad Trads :) Cool.

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  2. I knew there was a reason I skipped the Optional Memorial and went with the ferial readings for the Hours this morning.

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  3. Anonymous9:45 AM

    That is amazing. That someone with those traits can be a saint is striking - what is the essence of sanctity, then? Is it repentance? That seems to be why faith is so important throughout Scripture. God saves.

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  4. Wow I did not read *that* in Magnificat!

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