Pope Victor I (died 199) was aRoman African prelate of the Catholic Church who served as theBishop of Rome in the late second century. The dates of his tenure are uncertain, but one source states he became pope in 189 and gives the year of his death as 199.[1] He was born in theRoman Province of Africa. He was later considered a saint. Hisfeast day is celebrated on 28 July as "St Victor I, Pope and Martyr".[2] He was ofBerber origin.[3]
The primary sources vary over the dates assigned to Victor's episcopate, but indicate it included the last decade of the second century.Eusebius puts his accession in the tenth year ofCommodus (i.e. AD 189), which is accepted by Lipsius as the correct date. Jerome's version of the Chronicle puts his accession in the reign ofPertinax, or the first year ofSeptimius Severus (i.e. 193), while the Armenian version puts it in the seventh year of Commodus (186). TheLiber Pontificalis dates his accession to the consulate of Commodus and Glabrio (i.e. 186), while theLiberian Catalogue, a surviving copy of the source theLiber Pontificalis drew upon for its chronology, is damaged at this point.[4]
Concerning the duration of his episcopate, Eusebius, in hisEcclesiastical History, does not state directly the duration of his episcopate, but the Armenian version of Eusebius' Chronicle gives it as 12 years. The Liberian Catalogue gives his episcopate a length of nine years two months and ten days, while theLiber Pontificalis states it was ten years and the same number of months and days; the Felician Catalogue something over ten. Finally, Eusebius in hisHistory (5.28) states Zephyrinus succeeded him "about the ninth year of Severus", (201), while theLiber Pontificalis dates it to the consulate of Laternus and Rufinus (197). Lipsius, considering Victor in connection with his successors, concludes that he held office between nine and ten years, and therefore gives as his dates 189–198 or 199.
According to an anonymous writer quoted by Eusebius, Victor excommunicatedTheodotus of Byzantium for teaching that Christ was a mere man.[5] However, he is best known for his role in theQuartodeciman controversy. Prior to his elevation, a difference in dating the celebration of theChristian Passover/Easter betweenRome and the bishops ofAsia Minor had been tolerated by both the Roman and Eastern churches.
The churches in Asia Minor celebrated Easter on the14th of the Jewish month of Nisan, the day before JewishPassover, regardless of what day of the week it fell on, as the Crucifixion had occurred on the Friday before Passover, justifying this as the custom they had learned from the apostles; for this the Latins called themQuartodecimans. Synods were held on the subject in various parts—in Judea under Theophilus of Caesarea and Narcissus of Jerusalem, in Pontus under Palmas, in Gaul underIrenaeus, in Corinth under its bishop, Bachillus, at Osrhoene in Mesopotamia, and elsewhere—all of which disapproved of this practice and consequently issued by synodical letters declaring that "on the Lord's Day only the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord from the dead was accomplished, and that on that day only we keep the close of the paschal fast" (Eusebius H. E. v. 23).
Despite this disapproval, the general feeling was that this divergent tradition was not sufficient grounds forexcommunication. Victor alone was intolerant of this difference, and severed ties with these ancient churches, whose bishops includedPolycrates of Ephesus;[6] in response he was rebuked by Irenaeus and others, according to Eusebius.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Johann Peter Kirsch (1912). "Pope St. Victor I". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Handl A. (2016). Viktor I. (189?-199?) von Rom und die Etablierung des “monarchischen” Episkopats in Rom.Sacris Erudiri: a Journal on the Inheritance of Early and Medieval Christianity, 55, 7-56.
