SAINT ELEUTHERIUS (174)

Pope from c. 175 to 189.

During his pontificate the church was involved in a controversy over Montanism, a movement that arose in Asia Minor among Christians who believed that new spiritual revelations could be achieved through the ecstatic trances of their prophets.

The early Christian writer St. Hegesippus says that Eleutherius was deacon of the Roman Church under Pope St. Anicetus (c. 155-c. 166).

He was pope in reign of Commodus (Roman emperor 180-192) and co-ruler with his father Marcus Aurelius 176-180) who was relatively tolerant of the Christians.

Eleutherius had been devoting close attention to the Montanist controversy when in 177 Christians in the Lyons (france) area wrote him expressing their opinion of the teachings of the prophet Montanus. Although the letter has been lost, it is believed to have asked Eleutherius to show mercy but not to compromise with followers of the movement. The churches of Lyons and Vienne, France, sent the letter by Bishop St .Irenaeus of Lyons who was delegated to advise Eleutherius on the question.

The opposition of Eleutherius to Montanism has been noted but the nature of his mediation in the dispute is not known.

The legend that a king of Britain named Lucius wrote Eleutherius asking the Pope to send missionaries?

Elutherius deast day is May 26.