Died: 76 A.D.
How do we know he was pope?
St. Linus is identified by St. Irenaeus in his work Adversus Haeresis (“Against Heresy”) as the second pope and first successor of St. Peter, stating, “The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate.”
Give me the scoop on Linus.
Sources are unable to confirm whether this Linus also carried a blankie with him at all times, but he is generally understood to have been the second pope and the first successor of St. Peter as Bishop of Rome. His feast day is celebrated on September 23, and he’s remembered as having been martyred for the faith.
What was he known for?
Other than taking up St. Peter’s torch after the Apostle’s death, not a whole lot is known about his pontificate. Odds are good that Linus kept the wheels on the bus going round and round by evangelizing and helping the young Church to grow.
His name is also still commonly heard as part of the Roman Canon in Eucharistic Prayer I at Mass, immediately after the recitation of the names of the 12 Apostles and first in a litany of several future Successors of Peter: “Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius…”
Fun Fact…
Pope St. Linus may well be the same Linus mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:21, which would make him one of the only popes other than Peter to be mentioned in Sacred Scripture.
What else was going on in the world at the time?
Linus was pope when the Romans tore down the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D. Jesus didn’t come back and say, “I told you so,” but he did prophesy that it would happen in Mark 13:1-2.
Coming tomorrow….Pope St. Cletus
Can’t get enough papal history?
Click here for more on St. Linus (The Pope After Peter) from The Popecast, a short podcast about popes from the author of Popes in a Year.
SOURCES (and further reading):
– http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09272b.htm
– http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09224a.htm
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Linus