Pope Saint Sixtus II
![[Pope Saint Sixtus I]](http://saints.sqpn.com/saints23.jpg "44kb jpg detail from 'Saint Sixtus Ordains Saint Lawrence', by Fra Angelico, c.1448, Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican")
Profile
Philosopher and adult convert to Christianity. Deacon in Rome, Italy. Pope for less than a year.
He dealt with the controversy concerning baptism by heretics. He believed that anyone who was baptised with a desire to be a Christian, even if the baptism was performed by a heretic, was truly baptised into the faith, and that the validity of his faith was based on his own desire and actions, not the errors of the person who performed the sacrament.
While celebrating Mass at the tomb of Saint Callistus, he was arrested as part of the persecutions of Valerian. He was beheaded with six deacons and sub-deacons, and was buried in the same catacomb where he had been celebrating Mass when he was arrested; his name occurs in the prayer Communicantes in the Canon of the Mass. Martyr.
Born
Papal Ascension
Died
- giving Saint Lawrence a bag of money to give to the poor
- with Saint Lawrence
- with Saint Lawrence and Saint John the Baptist
Additional Information
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson
- Roman Martyrology, 3rd Turin edition
