Pope Saint Eutychianus

Pope St. Eutychianus

He succeeded Pope Felix I a few days after the latter's death, and governed the Church from January, 275, until 7 December, 283. We know no details of his pontificate. The rite for blessing the produce of the fields, ascribed to him by the "Liber Pontificalis", undoubtedly belongs to a later period. The statement also that he promulgated rules for the burial of martyrs and buried many of them with his own hands, has but slight claim to acceptance, since after the death of Aurelian (275) the Church enjoyed a long respite from persecution. It is highly probable that Eutychianus died not die a martyr. The fourth-century Roman Calendar mentions him (8 December) in the "Depositio Episcoporum", but not in its list of martyrs. His remains were placed in the papal chapel in the Catacomb of Callistus. When this famous crypt was discovered the fragments of the epitaph of Eutychianus were found, i. e. his name (in Greek letters): E UTYCHIANOS EPIS(KOPOS). His feast is celebrated on 8 December.

Duchesne (ed.), Liber Pontificalis, I, 159; De Rossi, Roma sotterranea, II (Rome, 1867), 70-72.

J.P. Kirsch