Soter | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Rome | |
 | |
| Church | Early Church |
| Papacy began | c. 167 |
| Papacy ended | 174 |
| Predecessor | Anicetus |
| Successor | Eleutherius |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Died | c. 174 Rome, Roman Empire |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 22 April |
Pope Soter (Greek: Σωτήρ Latin: Soterius) was the bishop of Rome from c. 167 to his death in c. 174.[1] According to the Annuario Pontificio, the dates may have ranged from 162–168 to 170–177.[2] He was born in Fondi, Campania, today in the Lazio region of Italy.[3] Soter is known for declaring that marriage was valid only as a sacrament blessed by a priest and also for formally inaugurating Easter as an annual festival in Rome.[4] His name, from Greek Σωτήριος from σωτήρ "saviour", would be his baptismal name, as his lifetime predates the tradition of adopting papal names.
- ^ Chapman, John (1908). "Caius and Soter, Saints and Popes" in The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Annuario Pontificio 2012 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, ISBN 978-88-209-8722-0), p. 8*
- ^ "Biography: Pope Soter". Archived from the original on 2006-10-09. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
- ^ Pope Saint Soter » Saints.SQPN.com