Pope Felix III
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| Felix III | |
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| Papacy began | March 13, 483 |
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| Papacy ended | 492 |
| Predecessor | Simplicius |
| Successor | Gelasius I |
| Birth name | ??? |
| Born | ??? Rome, Italy |
| Died | 492 Rome, Italy |
| Other popes named Felix | |
| Papal styles of Pope Felix III |
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| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
| Posthumous style | Saint |
Pope Saint Felix III was pope from March 13, 483 to 492.
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[edit] Biography
He was born into a Roman senatorial family and said to have been a great-great-grandfather of Saint Gregory the Great. Nothing certain is known of Felix until he succeeded St. Simplicius.
His first act was to repudiate the Henoticon, a deed of union originating with Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople and published by Emperor Zeno with the view of allaying the strife between the Miaphysite Christians and Chalcedonian Christians. He also addressed a letter of remonstrance to Acacius. The latter proved refractory, and sentence of deposition was passed against Acacius.
In his first synod, Felix excommunicated Peter the Fuller who had assumed the See of Antioch against Papal wishes. In 484, Felix also excommunicated Peter Mongus, who had taken the See of Alexandria—an act which brought about a schism between East and West that was not healed until 519.[1]
Felix is often quoted as saying “Not to oppose error is to approve it; and not to defend truth is to suppress it, and, indeed, to neglect to confound evil men - when we can do it - is no less a sin than to encourage them”[citation needed]
[edit] Family
It is said that Felix appeared to one of his descendants, his great-granddaughter Trasilla (an aunt of St. Gregory the Great), and asked her to enter Heaven through death, and on the eve of Christmas Trasilla died, seeing Jesus Christ beckoning.[2]
[edit] Numbering note
Felix II is now considered an antipope. Since, at one time this fact was not recognized, the second true Pope Felix was given the number III. This has advanced the numbering of all subsequent Popes Felix by one. Popes Felix III and IV are really the second and third popes by that name. It also affected the name taken by the antipope Felix V, who if he had been pope, really would have been the fourth Felix.)
[edit] References
- ^ "Pope St. Felix III". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06030b.htm.
- ^ "Sts. Trasilla and Emiliana". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15026a.htm.
| Roman Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by Simplicius |
Pope 483–492 |
Succeeded by Gelasius I |
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