Today's post is for my Brother-in-Law who took the name Cornelius as his confirmation name. Pope Saint Cornelius was a Roman Priest elected to the papacy in March of 251 as the 21st Pope. He succeeded Pope Fabian who had died over a year prior. Cornelius' election was delayed by persecution.
During the persecution of Emperor Decius, all citizens were ordered to perform a religious sacrifice in front of commissioners or else face death. Many refused and were martyred (including Pope Fabian), but others complied in order to save their own lives. Under the new Pope's reign, the question of how to treat those Christians who had been apostatized during the persecution divided the Church. The Rigorist party, under the leadership of Anti-Pope Novatian, held that idolatry was an unpardonable sin and the Church did not have the authority to forgive apostates. The opposing side, including Cornelius, felt that those who had lapsed could be restored to the Church through repentance and penance. Cornelius convened a synod of bishops who confirmed him as the rightful pope and excommunicated Novatian. They also issued a verdict that the apostates could be readmitted to the Christian community only after doing penance.
In June 251, Decius was killed in battle with the Goths and persecutions of Christians were resumed under his successor. Pope Cornelius was exiled and later died of the hardships he was forced to endure. He is the patron against earache, epilepsy, fever, twitching, and also of cattle, domestic animals, earache sufferers, epileptics, and the town of Kornelimünster, Germany, where his head is enshrined. His feast day is September 16.
No comments:
Post a Comment