Editing Pope Linus (section)

== Background ==
The earliest reference to the episcopate of Linus was [[Irenaeus]], who in {{circa|lk=no}} AD 180 wrote that "the blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate".<ref>Irenaeus, ''Against Heresies'', [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103303.htm 3: 3.3]</ref>

According to the earliest succession lists of bishops of Rome, passed down by Irenaeus and [[Hegesippus (chronicler)|Hegesippus]] and attested by the historian [[Eusebius of Caesarea|Eusebius]], Linus was entrusted with his office by the apostles [[Peter the Apostle|Peter]] and [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]] after they had established the Christian church in Rome. By this reckoning he might be considered therefore the first pope, but from the late 2nd or early 3rd century the convention began of regarding Peter as the first pope.<ref>J. N. D. Kelly, ''Oxford Dictionary of Popes'', 2005, pp. 6–7.</ref>

[[Jerome]] described Linus as "the first after Peter to be in charge of the Roman Church"<ref>"Post Petrum primus Ecclesiam Romanam tenuit Linus" (''[[Chronicon (Jerome)|Chronicon]]'', [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_chronicle_06_latin_part2.htm 14g] (p. 267))</ref> and [[Eusebius]] described him as "the first to receive the episcopate of the church at Rome, after the martyrdom of Paul and Peter".<ref>''Church History'', [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201/Page_133.html 3.2]</ref> [[John Chrysostom]] wrote that "this Linus, some say, was second bishop of the Church of Rome after Peter",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/230710.htm|title=Church Fathers: Homily 10 on Second Timothy (Chrysostom)}}</ref> while the ''[[Liberian Catalogue]]''<ref>''The Chronography of 354 AD'', [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chronography_of_354_13_bishops_of_rome.htm Part 13: Bishops of Rome]</ref> described Peter as the first bishop of Rome and Linus as his successor in the same office.

The ''[[Liber Pontificalis]]''<ref>''[[Liber Pontificalis]]'', [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/liberpontificalis1.html 2]</ref> also enumerated Linus as the second [[bishop of Rome]] after Peter, and stated that Peter consecrated two bishops, Linus and [[Anacletus]], for the priestly service of the community, while devoting himself instead to prayer and preaching, and that it was [[Clement I]] to whom he entrusted the universal Church and whom he appointed as his successor. [[Tertullian]] also wrote of Clement as the successor of Peter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0311.htm|title=CHURCH FATHERS: The Prescription Against Heretics (Tertullian)}}</ref> [[Jerome]] named Clement as "the fourth bishop of Rome after Peter, if indeed the second was Linus and the third Anacletus, although most of the Latins think that Clement was second after the apostle".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2708.htm|title=CHURCH FATHERS: ''De Viris Illustribus'' (Jerome)}}</ref>

The ''[[Apostolic Constitutions]]''<ref>''[[Apostolic Constitutions]]'', [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf07.ix.viii.iv.html 7.4]</ref> note that Linus, whom Paul the Apostle consecrated, was the first bishop of Rome and that he was succeeded by Clement I, whom Peter the Apostle ordained and consecrated.