Died: 140 A.D.
How do we know he was pope?
Having documented every pope (12) up to his lifetime, St. Irenaeus identified St. Hyginus as the eighth successor of St. Peter in Adversus haeresis (“Against Heresy”).
Give me the scoop on Hyginus.
He was Greek by birth, according to the Liber Pontificalis, but otherwise little else is known about his early life.
Was he among the cleanliest of popes?
We’ll never know.
His feast day is celebrated on January 11.
What was he known for?
During Hyginus’ pontificate, he had to deal with two prominent heretics, Cerdo and Valentinus, coming to Rome and trying to gain followers. Cerdo and Valentinus were both Gnostics, but tried to say, “Hey, our teachings are totally Christian.” To which St. Hyginus replied (probably), “No, they’re totally not,” ultimately excommunicating both men to protect the integrity and avoid confusion within the still-young Church.
Fun Fact…
Though ancient sources can’t confirm whether Hyginus was a martyr, he’s believed to have died near the Vatican Hill in Rome, and is buried close to St. Peter.
What else was going on in the world at the time?
About a year after Hyginus became pope, Marcus Aurelius was named Caesar of the Roman Empire.
Coming tomorrow….Pope St. Pius I
Can’t get enough papal history?
Click here to listen to The Popecast, a short podcast about popes from the author of Popes in a Year.
SOURCES (and further reading)
– http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07593a.htm
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Hyginus
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/140s