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HE was placed in the chair of St.
Peter after the martyrdom of St. Telesphorus, in the year 139.
Eusebius informs us, that
he sat four years. The church then enjoyed some sort of calm,
under the mild reign of the emperor Antoninus Pius; though
several martyrs suffered in his time by the fury of the populace,
or the cruelty of certain magistrates. The emperor himself never
consented to such proceedings; and when informed of them by the
governors of Asia, Athens, Thessalonica, and Larissea, he wrote
to them in favour of the Christians, as is recorded by Sts.
Justin and Eusebius.
As is typical of the Roman Church
in the mid second century, Hyginus was more likely one of a
number of presbyters as opposed to a stand-alone governor. The
dates are unsure, but he was in charge from the time of
Telesphorus’ martyrdom in the first year of Emperor Antonius
Pius’ reign and, according to Eusebius, in his “Ecclesiastical
History”, as well as Ireneus’ listings, he remained in
that position for four years.
It appears that Hyginus was from
Athens, his name meaning wholesome or healthy. How old he was
when he came to Rome is unknown. He is said to have been a
philosopher, although that cannot be verified. But, a knowledge
of philosophy was exactly what was needed by the Church by that
time.
Gnosticism was invading Rome. The
appearance of these non-orthodox preachers does indicate that the
city was becoming a center of thought for the new Church,
although Asia Minor was still predominant.
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| The devil had recourse to other arts to disturb the
peace of God’s church. Cerdo, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, in
the year 140, came from Syria to Rome, and began to teach the
false principles which Marcion adopted afterwards with more
success. He impiously affirmed that there were
two Gods; the one rigorous and severe, the author of the Old
Testament; the other merciful and good, the author of the New,
and the father of Christ, sent by him to redeem man from the
tyranny of the former; and that Christ was not really born of the
Virgin Mary, or true man, but such in shadow only and appearance.
Our holy pope, by his pastoral vigilance, detected that monster,
and cut him off from the communion of the church. The heresiarch,
imposing upon him by a false repentance, was again received; but
the zealous pastor having discovered that he secretly preached
his old opinions, excommunicated him a second time. |
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| Another minister of Satan was Valentine (NOT the
saint), who being a Platonic philosopher, puffed up with the vain
opinion of his learning, and full of resentment for another’s
being preferred to him in an election to a certain bishopric in
Egypt, as Tertullian relates, revived
the errors of Simon Magus, and added to them many other absurd
fictions, as of thirty Æônes or ages, a kind of inferior
deities, with whimsical histories of their several pedigrees.
Having broached these opinions at Alexandria, he left Egypt for
Rome. At first he dissembled his heresies, but by degrees his
extravagant doctrines came to light. Hyginus, being the mildest
of men, endeavoured to reclaim him without proceeding to
extremities; so that Valentine was not excommunicated before the
first year of St. Pius, his immediate successor. |
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St. Hyginus did not
sit quite four years, dying in 142. We do not find that he ended
his life by martyrdom, yet he is styled a martyr in some ancient
calendars, as well as in the present Roman Martyrology;
undoubtedly on account of the various persecutions which he
suffered, and to which his high station in the church exposed him
in those perilous times.
Saint Hyginus is
said to have accurately regulated the gradations of rank among
the clergy. He died on 142 in Rome, Italy and buried on
Vatican Hill near the tomb of Saint Peter the Apostle.
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Sorry this came out like this. Since the new year began, problems have arisen.
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