Pope Saint Soter

Image: Fictional portrait (Artaud de Montor 1842)

The 22nd of April is the feast day of Pope Saint Soter (died c. 174). Pope Saint Soter is known for declaring that marriage was valid only as a sacrament blessed by a priest and for inaugurating Easter as an annual festival.



 The following is from Butler’s Lives of the Saints:

ST. SOTER was raised to the papacy upon the death of St. Anicetus, in 173. By the sweetness of his discourses he comforted all persons with the tenderness of a father, and assisted the indigent with liberal alms, especially those who suffered for the faith. He liberally extended his charities, according to the custom of his predecessors, to remote churches, particularly to that of Corinth, to which he addressed an excellent letter, as St. Dionysius of Corinth testifies in his letter of thanks, who adds that his letter was found worthy to be read for their edification on Sundays at their assemblies to celebrate the divine mysteries, together with the letter of St. Clement, pope. St. Soter vigorously opposed the heresy of Montanus, and governed the Church to the year 177.