Pope Sixtus II

Pope Sixtus II (Greek: Πάπας Σίξτος Β΄; died 6 August 258), also written as Pope Xystus II, was Pope from 31 August 257 until his death on 6 August 258. He was killed along with seven deacons, including Lawrence of Rome, during the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Valerian.¹

Life

According to the Liber Pontificalis, he was a Greek,² born in Greece, and was formerly a philosopher.³ However, this is uncertain, and is disputed by modern Western historians arguing that the authors of Liber Pontificalis confused him with the contemporary author Xystus, who was a Greek student of Pythagoreanism.¹

Sixtus II restored the relations with the African and Eastern churches, which had been broken off by his predecessor over the question of heretical baptism raised by the heresy Novatianism.

In the persecutions under the Emperor Valerian in 258, numerous bishops, priests, and deacons were put to death. Pope Sixtus II was one of the first victims of this persecution, being beheaded on 6 August. He was martyred along with six deacons: Januarius, Vincentius, Magnus, Stephanus, Felicissimus and Agapitus.¹ Lawrence of Rome, his best-known deacon, suffered martyrdom on 10 August, four days after his bishop.