Editing Pope Siricius

{{Short description|Bishop of Rome from 384 to 399}}
{{Infobox Christian leader 
| type             = Pope
| honorific-prefix = [[Pope Saint]]
| name             = Siricius
| title            = [[Bishop of Rome]]
| church           = [[Catholic Church]]
| image            =
| term_start       = December 384
| term_end         = 26 November 399
| predecessor      = [[Pope Damasus I|Damasus I]]
| successor        = [[Pope Anastasius I|Anastasius I]]
| birth_name       = Siricius
| birth_date       = 334
| birth_place      = [[Rome]], [[Roman Empire]]
| death_date       = {{death date and age|399|11|26|334|df=yes}}
| death_place      = [[Rome]], [[Roman Italy|Italy]], [[Western Roman Empire]]
| feast_day        = 26 November
}}
'''Pope Siricius''' ({{circa|334}} – 26 November 399) was the [[bishop of Rome]] from December 384<ref>The date in December—15, 22, or 29—is uncertain. ''Annuario Pontificio'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2012 {{ISBN|978-88-209-8722-0}}), p. 9.</ref> to his death on 26 November 399. In response to inquiries from [[Bishop]] [[Himerius of Tarragona]], Siricius issued the [[Directa Decretal|''Directa'' decretal]], containing decrees of baptism, church discipline and other matters. His are the oldest completely preserved papal [[decretal]]s. He is sometimes said to have been the first bishop of Rome to call himself [[pope]].

== Early life ==
Siricius was a native of [[Rome]]; his father's name was Tiburtius. Siricius entered the service of the Church at an early age and, according to the testimony of the inscription on his grave, was [[lector]] and then [[deacon]] of the Roman Church during the pontificate of [[Pope Liberius|Liberius]].<ref name="ce"/>

==Pontificate==
[[File:Pormenor do Retábulo de Santa Auta (Papa Ciríaco Abençoa Santa Auta e o Príncipe Conan), Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga.png|thumb|Image from the Saint Auta Altarpiece ([[Lisbon]]) of Pope Siricius blessing Saint Auta and [[Conan Meriadoc]].]]

After the death of [[Damasus I]], Siricius was [[papal selection before 1059|elected pope]] unanimously, despite attempts by [[Antipope Ursicinus|Ursinus]] to promote himself. Emperor [[Valentinian II]]'s confirmation of his election stilled any further objections.<ref name=today>{{cite web| url = http://www.spirituality.org/is/171/pope_38.asp| title = "The 38th Pope", Spirituality for Today, Diocese of Bridgeport}}</ref> Siricius was an active pope, involved in the administration of the Church and the handling of various factions and viewpoints within it. In response to a letter from Bishop [[Himerius of Tarragona]], he issued the [[Directa Decretal|''Directa'' decretal]], containing decisions on fifteen different points, on matters regarding baptism, penance, church discipline and the celibacy of the clergy. His are the oldest completely preserved [[decretal]]s.<ref name="ce"/>

===Relationship to heretics and heathens===
Siricius helped to mend the [[Meletius of Antioch|Meletian schism]] in Antioch.<ref name="ce">{{Catholic| last=Kirsch |first=Johann Peter |wstitle=Pope St. Siricius |volume=14 |inline=1 |prescript=}}</ref> The schism stemmed from repeated exiles of Meletius of Antioch by [[Arianism|Arianist]] Roman emperors over theological differences. Although Meletius himself had been in sufficiently good standing to lead the [[First Council of Constantinople]] in 381, his death at the council re-ingited the schism, as Meletius's followers objected to his successor.<ref name="ce-meletius">{{Catholic| last=Leclercq |first=Henri |wstitle=Meletius of Antioch |volume=10 |inline=1 |prescript=}}</ref> By the mediation of [[John Chrysostom | St. John Chrysostom]] and Theophilus of Alexandria an embassy, led by Bishop Acacius of Beroea, was sent to Rome to persuade Siricius to recognize Flavian and to readmit him to communion with the Church.<ref name=ce />

When the Spanish bishop and ascetic [[Priscillian]], accused by his fellow bishops of heresy, was executed by Emperor [[Magnus Maximus]] under the charge of [[magic (paranormal)|magic]], Siricius—along with [[Ambrose]] of [[Milan]] and [[Martin of Tours]]—protested against the verdict to the emperor.<ref name=today/>

Some older sources claim Siricius fought against [[Manichaeism]] in Rome, though this is likely a mistake. [[Louis Duchesne]]'s 19th century version of the ''[[Liber Pontificalis]]'' claimed that Siricius took severe measures against the Manichaeans in Rome, but Duchesne also notes that [[Augustine of Hippo|Saint Augustine]] does not mention any such repression. As Augustine had converted from Manichaeism to Catholicism while living in Rome under Siricius's reign, later authors generally believe these anti-Manichaean efforts were misattributed to Siricius, when they actually occurred under the later [[Pope Leo I]]. Confusion may also stem from anti-Manchaean actions undertaken by Siricius's contemporary Western Roman emperors, including [[Honorius]] and Valentinian II.<ref name=ce />

===Papal titles===
Siricius is sometimes said to be the first bishop of Rome to style himself pope,<ref>{{cite book|title= Documents of the Christian Church|first1= Henry|last1=Bettenson |first2=Chris|last2=Maunder|page=88|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2011|isbn=9780199568987}}</ref> but other authorities say the title pope was from the early 3rd century an honorific designation used for any bishop in the West.<ref name=ODCC:Pope>Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church ([[Oxford University Press]] 2005 {{ISBN|978-0-19-280290-3}}), article ''Pope''</ref> In the East it was used only for the [[patriarch of Alexandria]].<ref name=ODCC:Pope/> [[Pope Marcellinus|Marcellinus]] (d. 304) is the first bishop of Rome shown in sources to have had the title pope used of him. From the 6th century, the imperial chancery of [[Constantinople]] normally reserved this designation for the bishop of Rome.<ref name=ODCC:Pope/> From the early 6th century, it began to be confined in the West to the bishop of Rome, a practice that was firmly in place by the 11th century.<ref name=ODCC:Pope/>

Siricius is also one of the popes presented in various sources as having been the first to bear the title ''[[pontifex maximus]]''. Others that are said to have been the first to bear the title are [[Callistus I]], [[Damasus I]], [[Pope Leo I|Leo I]], and [[Pope Gregory I|Gregory I]]. The ''Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'' indicates instead that it was in the fifteenth century (when the [[Renaissance]] stirred up new interest in ancient Rome) that ''pontifex maximus'' became a regular title of honour for popes.<ref>Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 {{ISBN|978-0-19-280290-3}}), article ''Pontifex Maximus''</ref>

==Death and veneration==
Siricius died on 26 November 399 and was succeeded by [[Pope Anastasius I|Anastasius I]]. He is buried in the basilica of San Silvestro.<ref name=today/> His [[feast day]] is 26 November.

== See also ==

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

== References ==

{{Reflist}}
{{catholic|title=Pope St. Siricius}}

== External links ==

{{Commons category|Siricius}}
* [http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/01_01_0384-0399-_Siricius,_Sanctus.html Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina] {{inlang|la}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[Damasus I]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Pope]]|years=384–399}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Pope Anastasius I|Anastasius I]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Popes}}
{{Catholic saints}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siricius}}
[[Category:Pope Siricius| ]]
[[Category:334 births]]
[[Category:399 deaths]]
[[Category:4th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:4th-century Romans]]
[[Category:Papal saints]]
[[Category:4th-century popes]]
[[Category:Popes]]