Saint of the day October 14: Saint Callisto. Catholic Saints

Every October 14, the feast of Pope Saint Callixtus the Martyr (Rome, c.155 – c.222), sixteenth Pope of the Catholic Church, is celebrated. His pontificate covered the period between the years 217 and 222.

Freed from all slavery

Calixto was the first “freed” Pope; That is, he lived part of his life as a slave – he was subjected to hard work in the mines. However, he managed to obtain his freedom – he probably paid for it in the fashion of the time. Once free, he dedicated himself full-time to serving the Christian community.

Saint Cepherinus, his predecessor in the See of Peter, made him his trusted man, entrusting him with the care and administration of the catacombs. These were the underground cemeteries of the Christians; but, as is known, they also served as a refuge in times of persecution.

Under the administration of Calixto, the catacombs were expanded and were up to four levels deep and more than 20 kilometers of corridors – quite a feat done with minimal resources. Today, the so-called “Catacombs of Saint Callixtus” are one of the most important historical places in the city of Rome. The remains of Popes, martyrs and saints rest inside.

Friend of charity and truth

In the year 217, upon the death of Pope Saint Cepherinus, Callistus was elected Supreme Pontiff. During his pontificate he endured fierce opposition from a sector of the Church, led by Hipólito, who accused him of being unworthy of his position. For Hippolytus, a freedman lacked the appropriate dignity to be head of the Church. In the same way, Hippolytus was opposed to men who had left behind serious sins such as polygamy or concubinage being ordained priests, regardless of whether they had publicly asked for forgiveness and converted their lives to Christ.

Hippolytus intended similar restrictions and rejections for other Christian converts, or for those who had committed apostasy and wanted to return to the bosom of the Church. Providentially, Calixto’s pastoral spirit rejected all these forms of rigorism, considering them contrary to the mandate of charity given by the Lord.

Far from changing his attitude, Hippolytus accused Calixtus of being a propagator of heresies about the Trinity, as a last attempt. It mattered little, and it was not successful.

Like the Apostle Peter

A victim of persecution against Christians, Saint Calixtus was captured and locked in a dungeon, without food or light, waiting for death to come. Weeks later, when his cell was opened, they found him calm and healthy. Today, tradition preserves the testimony of the words he spoke to those who wanted to collect his body:

“I accustomed my body to going days and weeks without eating or drinking, and this for the love of my friend Jesus Christ, so I am now able to resist without despairing.”

The imperial authority thus ordered that, since he had not denied his faith, the Pope was to be thrown into a deep well and that the mouth of the hole was covered with earth and rubble. Saint Callixtus died there, buried alive. Today, it is known that the Church of Santa María in Trastevere stands on that well.

Las Records of the martyrs They report an additional fact: Saint Callixtus was the second Pope to suffer martyrdom, after the Apostle Saint Peter.

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If you want to know more about Pope Saint Calixtus, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Papa_San_Calixto_I.