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St. Anastasius I, Pope of Rome


IV Century
Pope Anastasius I was among the first to condemn the works of Origen. Elected to the papacy in 399, Anastasius was a Roman by birth, and little is known of his early life. In 400, he called a council to consider the writings of Origen after the pope had received a letter from Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria in which the patriarch expressed strong doubt about Origen's fidelity to Christian teaching. The council condemned Origen's work as heterodox, and Rufinus of Aquiliea wrote to the pope to defend his translation of Origen's First Principles, which St. Jerome had attacked. Anastasius upheld the council's decision. He also urged the church in North Africa to continue its struggle against Donatism. He died in 401 and was buried in the cemetary of Pontian.

Karen Rae Keck



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