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Icon of St. Stephen I, Pope of
Old Rome, Martyr (+ 257)
Feast: Aug. 2
St. Stephen was by birth a
Roman. He became archdeacon under the holy Popes St. Cornelius and St.
Lucius. The latter having suffered martyrdom, St. Stephen was chosen to
succeed him, and was elected Pope on the 3rd of May, 253. The
controversy concerning the rebaptism of heretics gave St. Stephen much
trouble. Although the majority of the Church Catholic upheld that
genuine baptism is not found outside the Church, St. Stephen held a
minority viewpoint that it can. Despite this unusual teaching, the
great Saint distinguished himself in his zeal for Christ God, and when
the persecutions became violent he assembled the faithful together in
the underground tombs of the martyrs. There he celebrated the Holy
Liturgy and exhorted them to remain true to Christ. Then, on the 2nd of
August, 257, while seated in his pontifical chair, he was beheaded by
the henchmen of the emperor. The chair on which he was sitting may
still be viewed. It is still stained with his holy martyric blood. Holy
Hieromartyr Stephen, pray to God for us!
Icon of unknown provenance
from the Russian Orthodox website pravoslavie.ru
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