Victor I
- Year: 198.
- Feast Day: July 28
Born in North Africa, he was Pope of Rome for ten years (189-198).
His Entry in Liber Pontificalis (Book of the Popes):
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[1] Victor, natione Afer, ex patre Felice, sedit ann. X m. II d. X. Fuit autem temporibus Cesaris, a consulatu Commodi II et Grauione (186) usque ad Laterano et Rufino (197).
[2] Hic constituit ut sanctum Pascha die dominico celebraretur, sicut Eleuther. Hic fecit sequentes cleros. Martyrio coronatur. Et constituit ut, necessitate faciente, ut ubiubi inuentus fuisset, siue in flumine, siue in mari, siue in fontibus, tantum christiano confessione credulitatis clarificata, quicumque hominum ex gentile ueniens ut baptizaretur.
[3] Hic fecit ordinationes II per mens. Decemb., presbiteros IIII, diaconos VII ; episcopos per diuersa loca XII.
[4] Hic fecit constitutum ad interrogationem sacerdotum de circulo Paschae [ut dominico Paschae], cum presbiteris et episcopis factam conlationem et arcessito Theophilo, episcopo Alexandriae, facta congregatione, ut a XIIII luna primi mensis usque ad XXI, diem dominicum, custodiatur sanctum Pascha. Hic sepultus est iuxta corpus beati Petri apostoli, in Vaticano, V kal. Aug. Et cessauit episcopatus dies XII.
Victor, by nationality an African, son of Felix, occupied the see 10 years, 2 months and 10 days. He was bishop in the time of Caesar Augustus, from the 2nd consulship of Commodus when Gravio was his colleague (a.d. 186) until the year when Lateranus and Rufinus were consuls (a.d. 197).
He appointed that the holy feast of Easter should be observed on the Lord’s day, as Eleuther had done. He added acolytes to the clergy. He was crowned with martyrdom. He also ordained that, at a time of necessity, any gentile who came to be baptised, wherever it might be, whether in a river or in the sea or in a spring or in a marsh, if only he pronounced the Christian confession of faith, should be thereafter a Christian in full standing.
He held 2 ordinations in the month of December, 4 priests, 7 deacons, 12 bishops in divers places.
He instituted an inquiry among the clergy concerning the cycle of Easter and the Lord’s day for Easter and he gathered together the priests and the bishops. Then Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria, was questioned and in the assembly it was decided that the Lord’s day between the 14th day of the moon in the first month and the 21st day of the moon should be kept as the holy feast of Easter.
He was buried near the body of the blessed apostle Peter in the Vatican, July 28. And the bishopric was empty 12 days.