Eusebius (Church History iv.7; iv.14) places the beginning of his pontificate in the twelfth year of the reign of Emperor Hadrian (128–129) and gives the date of his death as being in the first year of the reign of Antoninus Pius (138–139).[1]
As the capital of the empire was a place that allowed a wide spread of ideas, many heretics moved to Rome during his pontificate. During this period, the main heretical doctrine wasGnosticism, which Telesphorus vigorously fought because he believed it could steer religion towards a mysticism far removed from reality. The main exponent of this doctrine was the philosopherValentinus, who at this time moved from Egypt to Rome and also managed to have a large number of followers in the capital of the empire for more than twenty years.
A fragment of a letter from Irenæus to Pope Victor I during the Easter controversy in the late 2nd century, also preserved by Eusebius, testifies that Telesphorus was one of the Roman bishops who always celebrated Easter on Sunday, rather than on other days of the week according to the calculation of the Jewish Passover. Unlike Victor, however, Telesphorus remained in communion with those communities that did not follow this custom.[1]
The tradition ofChristmas Midnight Masses, the celebration ofEaster on Sundays, the keeping of a seven-weekLent before Easter and the singing of theGloria are usually attributed to his pontificate, however, historianJohann Peter Kirsch says that "[n]one of the statements in the "Liber pontificalis" and other authorities of a later date as to liturgical and other decisions of this pope are genuine."[1]
According to the testimony ofIrenaeus (Against Heresies III.3.3), he suffered martyrdom.[4] Although most early popes are called martyrs by sources such as theLiber Pontificalis (dating to the 3rd century at earliest), Telesphorus is the first to whom Irenaeus, writing considerably earlier (c. 180 AD), gives this title, thus making his martyrdom the earliest attested martyrdom of a pope after Peter. He was buried in theVatican Necropolis, next to his predecessors.
InRoman Martyrology, his feast is celebrated on 2 January; the Eastern churches celebrate it on 22 February.
Until the 17th century, theCarmelites venerated Telesphorus as a patron saint of the order since some sources depict him living as a hermit. He is depicted in a stained glass window at the Carmelite monastery inBoxmeer.[5]
Chapman, John.Studies on the Early Papacy. Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1971.ISBN978-0-8046-1139-8.
Fortescue, Adrian, and Scott M. P. Reid.The Early Papacy: To the Synod of Chalcedon in 451. Southampton: Saint Austin Press, 1997.ISBN978-1-901157-60-4.
Loomis, Louise Ropes.The Book of Popes (Liber Pontificalis). Merchantville, NJ: Evolution Publishing.ISBN1-889758-86-8
A list of all the congregations, notable members, priories, churches, and convents of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (Carmelites)
