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To: jocon307
There were 3 (I never knew either...):

The African Popes

Pope Saint Victor 1

 (189-199 CE) A North African, Victor was the fifteenth pope. He is buried near the body of the apostle Peter, the first pope, in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. His feast day is July 28th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pope Saint Miliades 1 (311-314 CE) Not much is known of Miliades, who was born in Africa but died in Rome. He is buried on the famous Appian Way. His feast day is December 10th.

Pope Saint Gelasius 1 (492-496 CE) Born in Rome of African parents, Gelasius was a member of the Roman clergy from youth. Reportedly the most active of African popes, working to exile the Manicheans and pagans, and is author of a famous letter to the Byzantine emperor, Anastasias. His feast day is November 21st.

The above is from a very good article:
Will an African Pope Lead Catholics Again?

First published: November 18, 2003

and more:

African Popes - back to the National Black Catholic Congress Home Page

THE NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC CONGRESS

 

There were three African Popes who came from the region of North Africa. Although there are no authentic portraits of these popes, there are drawings and references in the Catholic Encyclopedia as to their being of African background. The names of the Three African Popes are: Victor (183-203 A.D.), Gelasius (492-496 A.D.), and Mechiades or Militiades (311-314 A.D.). All are saints.

Pope Saint Victor 1

Saint Victor was born in Africa and bore a Latin name as most African did at that time. Saint Victor was the fifteenth pope and a native of black Africa. He served from 186 A.D. until 197 A.D. He served during the reign of Emperor Septimus Severus, also African, who had led Roman legions in Britain. Some of the known contributions of Victor were his reaffirming the holy feast of Easter to be held on Sunday as Pius has done. As a matter of fact, he called Theophilous, Bishop of Alexandria, on the carpet for not doing this. He also condemned and excommunicated Theodore of Byzantium because of the denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ. He added acolytes to the attendance of the clergy. He was crowned with martyrdom. He was pope for ten years, two months and ten days. He was buried near the body of the apostle Peter, the first pope in Vatican. Some reports relate that St. Victor died in 198 A.D. of natural causes. Other accounts stated he suffered martyrdom under Servus. He is buried in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City near the "Convessio."

Pope Saint Victor 1 feast day is July 28th.

Pope Saint Gelasius 1

Saint Gelasius was born in Rome of African parents and was a member of the Roman clergy from youth. Of the three African popes, Gelasius seems to have been the busiest. He occupied the holy papacy four years, eight months and eighteen days from 492 A.D. until 496 A.D. Gelasius followed up Militades' work with the Manicheans. He exiled them from Rome and burned their books before the doors of the basilica of the holy Mary. He delivered the city of Rome from the peril of famine. He was a writer of strong letters to people of all rank and classes. He denounced Lupercailia, a fertility rite celebration. He asked them sternly why the gods they worshipped had not provided calm seas so the grain ships could have reached Rome in time for the winter. He wrote to Femina, a wealthy woman of rank, and asked her to have the lands of St. Peter, taken by the barbarians and the Romans, be returned to the church. The lands were needed for the poor who were flocking to Rome. His theory on the relations between the Church and the state are explained in the Gelasian Letter to the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius. He was known for his austerity of life and liberality to the poor.

There is today in the library of the church at Rome a 28 chapter document on church administration and discipline. Pope Saint Gelasius 1 feast day is November 21st.

Pope Saint Miliades 1

Saint Miltiades was one of the Church's Black Popes. Militades occupied the papacy from 311 to 314 A.D. serving four years, seven months and eight days. Militiades decreed that none of the faithful should fast on Sunday or on the fifth day of the week ...because this was the custom of the pagans. He also found residing in Rome a Persian based religion call Manichaenism. He furthered decreed that consecrated offerings should be sent throughout the churches from the pope's consecration. This was call leaven. It was Militiades who led the church to final victory over the Roman Empire. Militiades was buried on the famous Appain Way.

Pope Saint Militiades feast day is December 10th.

 

13 posted on 04/03/2005 11:14:04 AM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy (Be not afraid...)
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To: pittsburgh gop guy
That site manages to spell Pope Miltiades' name three different ways (without noticing the variants Meltiades or Melchiades)...a little proofreading would help.

I don't think the portrait of Pope Victor I is a contemporary likeness...not many 2nd-century paintings have the English word "saint" on them.

20 posted on 04/03/2005 11:23:57 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: pittsburgh gop guy

It's possible that one or more of the three early African popes were black, but more likely they were coastal North Africans, descendants of the Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and other basically white people who lived there.

If Cardinal Arinze is elected pope, the media will hate him more than they hate Clarence Thomas, but they would have a hell of a time (phrase deliberately used) demonizing him (also deliberately used). He is very warm, outgoing, and likeable.


23 posted on 04/03/2005 11:27:31 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: pittsburgh gop guy; TomB; sassbox

Thanks to you all too. Very interesting, but Pittsburgh, your St. Victor I looks a wee bit modern to me. The Pope in the hood?

Not sure, but as hubby said: nobody's got bling like the Pope's got bling!


24 posted on 04/03/2005 11:28:05 AM PDT by jocon307 (We can try to understand the New York Times effect on man)
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