Editing Pope Julius I

{{Short description|Head of the Catholic Church from 337 to 352}}
{{For|the 2nd century martyr|Julius of Rome}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Pope
| honorific-prefix = [[Pope Saint]]
| name = Julius I
| title = [[Bishop of Rome]]
| image = Pope Julius I – Santa Maria in Trastevere.jpg
| caption = Pope Julius I depicted in a {{circa|12th century}} mosaic from the apse of the Roman church [[Santa Maria in Trastevere]]
| church = 
| term_start = 6 February 337
| term_end = 12 April 352
| predecessor = [[Pope Mark|Mark]]
| successor = [[Pope Liberius|Liberius]]
| birth_date = 280 AD
| birth_place = [[Rome]], [[Roman Empire]]
| death_date = 12 April 352
| death_place = Rome, Roman Empire
| other = Julius
| feast_day = 12 April
| venerated = [[Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Oriental Orthodox Church]]
| shrine = [[Basilica of Saint Praxedes]]
}}
'''Pope Julius I''' was the [[bishop of Rome]] from 6 February 337 to his death on 12 April 352. He was appealed to by [[Athanasius of Alexandria|Athanasius]] when the latter was deposed from his position as patriarch by [[Arianism|Arian]] bishops, Julius then supported Athanasius and condemned his deposition as unjust. He was notable for asserting the [[papal primacy|authority of the pope]] over the Arian Eastern [[bishop]]s, as well as being attributed with the setting of December 25 as the official [[birthdate of Jesus]].

==Pontificate==
Julius was a native of [[Rome]] and was chosen as successor of [[Pope Mark]] after the Roman seat had been vacant for four months.

===Arianism===
Julius is chiefly known by the part he took in the [[Arian]] controversy. After the followers of [[Eusebius of Nicomedia]], who had become the [[patriarch of Constantinople]], renewed their deposition of [[Athanasius of Alexandria]] at a synod held in [[Antioch]] in 341, they resolved to send delegates to [[Constans]], emperor of the West, and also to Julius, setting forth the grounds on which they had proceeded. Julius, after expressing an opinion favourable to Athanasius, adroitly invited both parties to lay the case before a synod to be presided over by himself. This proposal, however, the Arian Eastern bishops declined to accept.<ref name="ce">[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08561a.htm Kirsch, Johann Peter. "Pope St. Julius I." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 28 September 2017</ref><ref>[The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates, Surnamed Scholasticus, or The Advocate. Comprising a History of the Church, in Seven Books, from the Accession of Constantine, A.D. 305 to the 38th Year of Theodosius II, Including a Period of 140 Years] Book II, Chapter 23. London: Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden, 1853. 24 June 2023</ref>

On this second banishment from [[Alexandria]], Athanasius came to Rome, and was recognised as a regular [[bishop]] by the [[synod]] presided over by Julius in 342. Julius sent a letter to the Eastern bishops that is an early instance of the claims of primacy for the bishop of Rome. Even if Athanasius and his companions were somewhat to blame, the letter runs, the Alexandrian Church should first have written to the pope. "Can you be ignorant," writes Julius, "that this is the custom, that we should be written to first, so that from here what is just may be defined" (Epistle of Julius to Antioch, c. xxii).<ref name="ce"/>

It was through the influence of Julius that, at a later date, the [[council of Sardica]] in [[Illyria]] was held, which was attended by only seventy-six Eastern bishops, who speedily withdrew to [[Plovdiv|Philippopolis]] and deposed Julius at the [[council of Philippopolis]], along with Athanasius and others. The three hundred Western bishops who remained, confirmed the previous decisions of the Roman synod and issued a number of decrees regarding church discipline. The first canon forbade the transfer of bishops from one see to another, for if frequently made, it was seen to encourage covetousness and ambition.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://catholicsaints.info/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-julius-pope-and-confessor/| title = Butler, Alban. "Saint Julius, Pope and Confessor". ''Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints'', 1866. CatholicSaints.Info. 15 April 2013}}</ref>

By its 3rd, 4th, and 5th decrees relating to the rights of revision claimed by Julius, the council of Sardica perceptibly helped forward the claims of the bishop of Rome. Julius built several basilicas and churches.

=== Christmas ===
Some have stated that, around 350 AD, Julius I declared December 25 as the official date of the birth of [[Jesus]]; this is based on a letter quoted only in a 9th-century source, and this letter is spurious.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Christmas encyclopedia|author=Crump, William D.|date=2013|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|isbn=9781476605739|edition= 3rd|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|pages=96|oclc=858762699}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm|title=Christmas|last=Martindale|first=Cyril|date=1908|website=The Catholic Encyclopedia|publisher=Robert Appleton Company|location=New York|access-date=2018-11-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kYFg5iRuIyMC&q=censura+julii&pg=PA875|title=Patrologiae cursus completus, seu bibliotheca universalis, integra, uniformis, commoda, oeconomica, omnium SS. Patrum, doctorum scriptorumque ecclesiasticorum, sive latinorum, qui ab aevo apostolico ad tempora Innocentii 3. (anno 1216) pro Latinis et Concilii Florentini (ann. 1439) pro Graecis floruerunt: Recusio chronologica ...: Opera quÃ exstant universa Constantini Magni, Victorini necnon et Nazzrii, anonymi, S. Silvestri papÃ, S. Marci papÃ, S. Julii papÃ, Osii Cordubensis, Candidi Ariani, Liberii papÃ, et Potamii|date=1844|publisher=Vrayet|pages=968|language=la}}</ref> At the time this was one of the commonly believed dates for Jesus' birth and was used by Hippolytus of Rome in his Commentary on Daniel around 200 AD.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chronicon.net/chroniconfiles/Hippolytus%20and%20December%2025th.pdf|title=Hippolytus and December 25th as the date of Jesus' birth|website=www.chronicon.net/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224142733/http://www.chronicon.net/chroniconfiles/Hippolytus%20and%20December%2025th.pdf|access-date=2021-03-03|archive-date=2012-12-24}}</ref> It is claimed – falsely – that Pope Julius declared December 25 as Christmas after patriarch Cyril of Jerusalem asked for clarification on what date historical records stored in Rome indicate as Jesus' birth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2018/12/21/dubious-claims-pope-julius-i-decided-that-jesus-was-born-on-25-december/|title=Dubious claims: Pope Julius I decided that Jesus was born on 25 December?|website=www.roger-pearse.com|date=21 December 2018|access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref> It was also believed that Jesus and John the Baptist were born around the same time from reading the Gospel of Luke.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/infancyjames-roberts.html|title=Infancy Gospel of James|website=www.earlychristianwritings.com/|access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://taylormarshall.com/2012/12/yes-christ-was-really-born-on-december.html|title=Yes, Christ Was Really Born on December 25: Here's a Defense of the Traditional Date for Christmas|website=taylormarshall.com/|date=24 December 2012|access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref>

The actual date of Jesus's birth is unknown.<ref name="John">{{cite book |last1=John |first1=J. |title=A Christmas Compendium |date=2005 |publisher=Continuum |location=New York City, New York and London, England |isbn=0-8264-8749-1 |page=112 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yBP8a2jJ9A4C&q=Saturnalia+Christmas&pg=PA112 }}</ref><ref name="Struthers">{{cite book |last1=Struthers |first1=Jane |title=The Book of Christmas: Everything We Once Knew and Loved about Christmastime |date=2012 |publisher=Ebury Press |location=London, England |isbn=9780091947293 |pages=17–21 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YKaJsdIkOgsC&q=Saturnalia+Christmas&pg=PA18 }}</ref> It has been noted that 25 December is two days after the end of the Roman festival of [[Saturnalia]].<ref name="John"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.italyheritage.com/traditions/calendar/december/december-25-why.htm|title=Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25?|website=www.italyheritage.com|access-date=2018-11-18}}</ref> Some have speculated that part of the reason this date was chosen may have been because Julius was trying to create a Christian alternative to Saturnalia.<ref name="John"/> Another reason for the decision may have been because, in 274 AD, the Roman emperor [[Aurelian]] had allegedly declared 25 December the birthdate of [[Sol Invictus]] and that Julius I allegedly may have thought that he could attract more converts to Christianity by allowing them to continue to celebrate on the same day,<ref name="Struthers"/> but this cannot be historically verified.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hijmans|first=Steven|date=2010|title=Temples and Priests of Sol in the City of Rome|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/mou.2010.0073|journal=Mouseion: Journal of the Classical Association of Canada|volume=10|issue=3|pages=381–427|doi=10.1353/mou.2010.0073|s2cid=162381004 |issn=1913-5416}}</ref> He may have also been influenced by the idea that Jesus had died on the anniversary of his conception;<ref name="Struthers"/> because Jesus died during Passover and, in the third century AD, Passover was celebrated on 25 March,<ref name="Struthers"/> he may have assumed that Jesus's birthday must have come nine months later, on 25 December.<ref name="Struthers"/>

==Death and veneration==
Julius I died in Rome on 12 April 352.  He was succeeded by [[Pope Liberius|Liberius]]. Julius is venerated as a saint by the [[Catholic Church]]. His [[feast day]] is on 12 April.<ref name="ce"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Christianity|History}}
*[[List of Catholic saints]]
*[[List of popes]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{catholic|title=Pope St. Julius I}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
* Duffy, Eamon. ''Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes'', Yale University Press, 2001, pp.&nbsp;30–32. {{ISBN|0-300-09165-6}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Iulius I}}
*[http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/01_01_0337-0352-_Iulius_I,_Sanctus.html Opera Omnia by Migne] {{inlang|la}}
*[http://www.fourthcentury.com/jaffe-kaltenbrunner-st-julius-337-352/ Translations of Jaffe-Kaltenbrunner's Register of the Pontiff.]

{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|grt}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Pope Mark|Mark]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Bishop of Rome]] <br/>[[List of popes|Pope]]|years=337–352}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Pope Liberius|Liberius]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Popes}}
{{Catholic saints}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Julius 01}}
[[Category:352 deaths]]
[[Category:4th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:4th-century Romans]]
[[Category:Italian popes]]
[[Category:Papal saints]]
[[Category:Clergy from Rome]]
[[Category:Popes]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:4th-century popes]]
[[Category:280 births]]