St.
Pontian
POPE
Feast: August 13
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Dates of birth and death unknown. The "Liber
Pontificalis" (ed. Duchesne, I, 145) gives Rome as his native city and
calls his father Calpurnius. With him begins the brief chronicle of the Roman
bishops of the third century, of which the author of the Liberian Catalogue
of the popes made use in the fourth century and which gives more exact data
for the lives of the popes. According to this account Pontian was made pope
21 July, 230, and reigned until 235. The schism of Hippolytus continued
during his episcopate; towards the end of his pontificate there was a
reconciliation between the schismatic party and its leader with the Roman
bishop. After the condemnation of Origen at Alexandria (231-2), a synod was
held at Rome, according to Jerome (Epist. XXXII, iv) and Rufinus (Apol.
contra Hieron., II, xx), which concurred in the decisions of the Alexandrian
synod against Origen; without doubt this synod was held by Pontian (Hefele,
Konziliengeschichte, 2nd ed., I, 106 sq.). In 235 in the reign of Maximinus
the Thracian began a persecution directed chiefly against the heads of the
Church. One of its first victims was Pontian, who with Hippolytus was
banished to the unhealthy island of Sardinia. To make the election of a new
pope possible, Pontian resigned 28 Sept., 235, the Liberian Catalogue says
"discinctus est". Consequently Anteros was elected in his stead.
Shortly before this or soon afterwards Hippolytus, who had been banished with
Pontian, became reconciled to the Roman Church, and with this the schism he
had caused came to an end. How much longer Pontian endured the sufferings of
exile and harsh treatment in the Sardinian mines is unknown. According to old
and no longer existing Acts of martyrs, used by the author of the "Liber
Pontificalis", he died in consequence of the privations and inhuman
treatment he had to bear. Pope Fabian (236-50) had the remains of Pontian and
Hippolytus brought to Rome at a later date and Pontian was buried on 13
August in the papal crypt of the Catacomb of Callistus. In 1909 the original
epitaph was found in the crypt of St. Cecilia, near the papal crypt. The
epitaph, agreeing with the other known epitaphs of the papal crypt, reads:
PONTIANOS, EPISK. MARTUR (Pontianus, Bishop, Martyr). The word mártur was
added later and is written in ligature [cf. Wilpert, "Die Papstgräber
und die Cäciliengruft in der Katakombe des hl. Kalixtus" (Freiburg,
1909), 1 sq., 17 sq., Plate III]. He is placed under 13 Aug. in the list of
the "Depositiones martyrum" in the chronographia of 354. TheRoman
Martyrology gives his feast on 19 Nov.
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