St. Eleutherius

St. Eleutherius Pope, Martyr

Pope Eleutherius was the 13th Pope of the Church. His papacy is notable for its length, extending over 15 years, making him one of the longest-serving popes of his era. The Church venerates him as a saint and as a martyr.

Eleutherius was born in the small town of Nicopolis sometime around 130 AD. His parents gave him the name Eleutherius at birth, and he decided to use his official name when he became pope. After deciding to help the Church, he became a deacon and worked with bishops in the Church of Rome, including Soter and Anicetus, both of whom would later serve as popes within that Church. Pope Saint Soter died just a few weeks before Eleutherius became pope.

The papacy of Eleutherius was marked by his stance against the Montanist movement. Started by a man named Montanus, this movement differed from the Church’s official stance. Montanus traveled through the region with two women and often claimed that the trio was the human embodiment of the Holy Spirit. Pope Eleutherius was forced to speak out against the movement and was attached to several letters about them.

One of the only papal decrees attributed to Eleutherius is one that involves food. It stated that Christians should not turn down food offered to them or food that was available to them as it came from God. 

Historians today also believe that Pope Eleutherius was involved in missions to Britain. Lucius, who was the King of Britan, wrote a letter to the pope in which he claimed that he wanted to convert.

Eleutherius died in 199 AD as a martyr, with problems brought on by the suffering he experienced at the hands of his opponents. He was buried on Vatican Hill close to some of the other early popes and not far away from Saint Peter. His body was later moved to two different spots in Rome.