Editing Pope Fabian (section)

==Papacy==
During Fabian's reign of 14 years, there was a lull in the persecution which had resulted in the exile of both [[Pope Anterus|Anterus]]' predecessor [[Pope Pontian|Pontian]] and the antipope (and later saint) [[Hippolytus of Rome|Hippolytus]]. Fabian had enough influence at court to effect the return of the bodies of both of these martyrs from Sardinia, where they had died at hard labor in the mines. The report that he baptized the emperor [[Philip the Arab]] and his son, however, is probably a legend, although he did seem to enjoy some connections at court, since the bodies of Pontian and Hippolytus could not have been exhumed without the emperor's approval.<ref name ="EB">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Fabian, Saint |volume= 10 | page= 113}}</ref>

According to the sixth-century historian and hagiographer [[Gregory of Tours]]<ref>Gregory, ''Historia Francorum'' I §30, giving as his source the Martyrdom of [[Saturnin]].</ref> Fabian sent out the "apostles to the Gauls" to Christianise [[Gaul]] in A.D. 245. Fabian sent seven bishops from [[Rome]] to Gaul to preach the Gospel: [[Gatianus of Tours]] to [[Tours]], [[Trophimus of Arles]] to [[Arles]], [[Paul of Narbonne]] to [[Narbonne]], [[Saturnin]] to [[Toulouse]], [[Saint Denis of Paris|Denis]] to [[Paris]], [[Austromoine]] to [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Clermont|Clermont]], and [[Saint Martial|Martial]] to [[Limoges]]. He also condemned Privatus, the originator of a new [[heresy]] in [[Africa]].<ref name=SHMI />

The ''[[Liber Pontificalis]]'' says that Fabian divided the Christian communities of Rome into seven districts, each supervised by a [[deacon]]. [[Eusebius]] (VI §43) adds that he appointed seven subdeacons to help collect the ''acta'' of the martyrs—the reports of the court proceedings on the occasion of their trials.<ref name="EB"/> There is also a tradition that he instituted the four minor clerical orders: porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte. However most scholars believe these offices evolved gradually and were formally instituted at a later date.<ref name="EB"/>

His deeds are thus described in the ''[[Liber Pontificalis]]'': 
<blockquote>{{lang|la|Hic regiones dividit diaconibus et fecit vii subdiacones, qui vii notariis imminerent, Ut gestas martyrum integro fideliter colligerent, et multas fabricas per cymiteria fieri praecepit.}}<br />

He divided the ''[[14 regions of Augustan Rome|regiones]]'' into deaconships and made seven sub-deaconships which seven secretaries oversaw, so that they brought together the deeds of the martyrs faithfully made whole, and he brought forth many works in the cemeteries.</blockquote>

The ''[[Liberian Catalogue]]'' of the popes also reports that Fabian initiated considerable work on the [[catacombs]], where honored Christians were interred, and where he also caused the body of Pontian to be entombed at the [[catacomb of Callixtus]].<ref name="ce"/>