POPE SAINT CORNELIUS

Feast Day - September 16

Lived (d. 253)

Cornelius became Pope, when the Church and civil society were in strong disagreement. Around the year 250, Rome was ruled by the Emperor Decius, who brutally persecuted Christians. He commanded that all Christians deny Christ by offering incense to idols or through some other pagan ritual. Many Christians refused and were martyred, among them was Saint Fabian, the Pope, while others burnt the sacrificial incense in order to stay alive. In hopes that Christianity would die out, Decius prevented the election of a new pope. However, he was soon compelled to leave Rome to fight the invading Goths and the papal election was held in his absence.

In 251, the Church had endured fourteen months without a pope when Cornelius was elected, much against his will. After the persecution, the Church became divided in two. One side, led by the Roman priest Novatian, who believed that those who had stopped practicing Christianity during the persecution could not be accepted back into the Church even if they repented. Under this philosophy, the only way to re-enter the Church would be re-baptism. The opposing side, headed by Pope Cornelius, did not believe in the need for re-baptism. Instead, he believed the sinners should only need to show contrition and perform penance to be welcomed back into the Church. Novatian resisted Cornelius and declared himself Pope – thus becoming the first antipope in history.

That same year, the western bishops convened a synod that supported Cornelius, condemned the teachings of Novatian, and excommunicated him and his followers. Another persecution started under Emperor Gallus in 253. Pope Cornelius was first exiled and then, he died as a martyr.