Cajus (Bishop of Rome)

Cajus or Gajus (* in Dalmatia ; † April 22, 296 ) was bishop of Rome from December 17, 283 to April 22, 296 .

He was the son of Gaius or a relative of the Emperor Diocletian . Under his guidance, Christians experienced a period of calm between the persecution under Valerian and under Diocletian. Apart from information from the Liber Pontificalis , little is known about him.

Live and act

Gabinus is the name of the father of Saint Susanna. Hence, it is believed that Cajus is the uncle of Saint Susanna.

During his tenure, the persecution of Christians increased, although new churches and cemeteries could be built. He probably did not die as a martyr, because Diocletian's persecution of Christians did not begin until 303, after Caius' alleged death, and Diocletian was not always hostile to Christians on his way to becoming emperor. As Bishop of Rome, Cajus decreed that a future bishop must first have been a lecturer , exorcist , acolyte , subdeacon , deacon and priest .

Cajus' grave, which also contained his signet ring, was discovered with the original epitaph in the Calixtus catacomb in Rome . In 1631, its presumed official residence was converted into a church, which, however, had to give way to the Italian Ministry of Defense in 1880, so that its relics were transferred to the Barberini family chapel .

Depiction of the martyrdom of Cajus by Lorenzo Monaco . Originally part of the altar paintings in the Church of San Gaggio in Florence.

His feast day, together with that of Soterus , is April 22nd. In art, Saint Caius is depicted with the tiara with an image of Saint Nereus . He is worshiped mainly in Dalmatia and Venice . In Florence the church of San Gaggio is dedicated to him.

See also

• List of the blessed and saints
• List of Popes

literature

• Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz :  Cajus (Gajus). In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 1, Bautz, Hamm 1975. 2nd, unchanged edition Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-013-1 , Sp. 850.
• Jülicher: Gaius 8) . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VII, 1, Stuttgart 1910, column 510.
• Entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia , Robert Appleton Company, New York 1913.

Web links

Commons : Cajus  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Complete works of Migne Patrologia Latina with table of contents

predecessor	Office	successor
Eutychianus	Bishop of Rome (the term Pope was first used after 384) 283–296	Marcellinus