Book of the Popes (Liber Pontificalis) - To the Pontificate of Gregory I

 Our Description

The Liber Pontificalis is an invaluable historical document, cataloging the names and dates of the first 65 Pontiffs of Rome beginning with St. Peter himself. Though of unknown authorship, its antiquity is well established. Modern scholarship has determined that the Liber was probably first compiled in the 6th century AD and continued piecemeal thereafter.

This English edition, originally published in 1916, covers up through the end of the 6th century. As such, it coincides with the rise of Christianity from the catacombs to become the preeminent faith of the Mediterranean world. It includes significant biographies of many noteworthy Popes such as Sylvester, Leo the Great, John I, and Silverius and touches upon the reigns of secular rulers such as Constantine I, Attila, Justinian I, and Theodoric. The Liber is a valuable source of information on the various heresies of the early Church and the councils called to deal with them. The work also provides archaeological clues about the ecclesiastical monuments of Rome, both those which survive to the present day and those which were destroyed.
   

Though many of the earliest biographies are brief, devoid of detail and littered with obvious errors, the biographies of the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries are considerably more fleshed-out and of much greater scholarly value. The translator, Louise Ropes Loomis, provides an informative introduction and includes footnotes mainly derived from the authoritative commentaries of Mommsen and Duchesne, two of the foremost 19th century scholars of the Liber. These notes are helpful in identifying and correcting the problematic sections of the work and otherwise providing context. Furthermore, several manuscript traditions have been reproduced in parallel in this edition so that the reader may compare them side-by-side. 
   

The 2006 edition includes 14 black & white illustrations from the lives of various Popes, as well as a short preface. 

Volume 3 in the Christian Roman Empire Series from Arx.
 

An Early Record of the Papacy Back in Print

Last spring, our family was among those blessed to be able to attend the "St. Peter and the Vatican" exhibit while it was at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Decked out with headphones, visitors were walked through the history of the papacy from the time of Peter himself all the way up to the present day. Replicas of places, vestments and relics, and photos and documents fleshed out the drama of this ancient yet modern institution, vindicating Christ’s words to the fisherman: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."

The exhibit was magnificent. Different things, of course, jumped out at different people. I personally spent quite a while transfixed by a film clip of Pius XII, the staunch anti-Nazi humanitarian transformed by the magic of revisionist history into a collaborator with Hitler. Each visitor was, however, touched in his or her own way. It is impossible to be brought to consid Full Review...

St. Leo the Great

Feast Day: Roman Rite Calendar - 11/10 Tridentine Calendar - 04/11 Profile     Italian nobility. Strong student, especially in scripture and theology. Priest. Eloquent writer and homilist.     Pope from 440 to 461 during the time of the invasion of Attila the Hun. When Attila marched on Rome, Leo went out to meet him and pleaded for leave. As Leo spoke, Attila saw the vision of a man in priestly robes, carrying a bare sword, and threatening to kill the invader if he did not obey Pope Leo. As Leo had a great devotion to Saint Peter, it is generally believed the first pope was the visionary opponent to the Huns. When Genseric invaded Rome, Leo's sanctity and eloquence saved the city again.     Called the Council of Chalcedon to condemn heresies of the day. Fought Nestorianism, Monophysitism, Manichaeism, and Pelagianism. Built churches. Wrote letters and sermons encouraging and teaching his flock, many of which survive today; it is for these writings that Leo was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1574. Born     c.400 at Tuscany, Italy Died     11 April 461 at Rome, Italy Name Meaning     lion (latin) Canonized     Pre-Congregation All information used with permission of the Patron Saint Index.

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