Celestine I.

Celestine I (depiction in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls )

Celestine I ( Latin : Heavenly ; * before September 10, 422; † July 27, 432 ) was Pope and Bishop of Rome from September 10, 422 to July 27, 432 . He is one of the saints and has sustainably promoted the church teaching of Mary as the bearer of God .

Life

Oldest known depiction of Christ on the crucifixion at the Roman church of Santa Sabina , made at the time of Pope Celestine I.

Celestine I was a deacon in Rome before his election as Pope . During his entire term of office he tried to enforce the Roman right of appeal against the North African churches in questions of jurisdiction ; however, they successfully resisted. The conflict was essentially ended when the Vandals invaded North Africa. Bishop Augustine of Hippo received support from him against semipelagianism .

In a dispute with Nestorius and his followers, Bishop Cyril of Alexandria turned to Coelestin, who in August 430 at a Roman synod rejected the teaching of Nestorius and threatened him with excommunication. The Council of Ephesus , at the end of June 431, at which the Coelestins presided over three legates after their arrival, also condemned Nestorianism with the express consent of the Pope.

Coelestin made a name for himself above all in the field of mission (also within the church). Since Pelagianism had meanwhile also expanded into Britain, it sent Bishop Germanus of Auxerre to the northern province in 429 . Two years later, the then deacon Palladius was sent on a mission to pagan Ireland and appointed mission bishop. 16 letters from Celestine have been delivered. Celestine I was a representative of the ecclesiastical idea of ​​primacy, even if it was not particularly successful in Africa.

The famous Roman church of Santa Sabina was built under Pope Celestine I. It still has a cedar door from the year of his death in 432 with the oldest known depiction of Christ crucified.

Memorial days

• Catholic: July 27th
• Orthodox: April 8th

literature

• Adolf Jülicher : Caelestinus 4 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume III, 1, Stuttgart 1897, Col. 1247.
• Which ring: Between Christology and Church Politics. An examination of the letters of Pope Celestine I and the letters addressed to him in the run-up to the Ephesin Council , in: Ders., Die theologische Brücke (= Pons theologiae; 1), Munich 2009. ISBN 3-89975-929-X
• Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz :  Coelestin I .. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 1, Bautz, Hamm 1975. 2nd, unchanged edition Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-013-1 , Sp. 1077.
• Entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia , Robert Appleton Company, New York 1913.

See also

• List of the blessed and saints
• List of Popes

Web links

Commons : Celestine I.  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Complete works of Migne Patrologia Latina with table of contents

predecessor	Office	successor
Boniface I.	Pope 422-432	Sixtus III.