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Sixtus II
Birth name	Sixtus
Papacy began	August 30, 257
Papacy ended	August 6, 258
Predecessor	Stephen I
Successor	Dionysius
Born	??? Greece
Died	August 6, 258 Rome, Italy
Other popes named Sixtus

Styles of Pope Sixtus II
Reference style	His Holiness
Spoken style	Your Holiness
Religious style	Holy Father
Posthumous style	Saint

Pope Saint Sixtus II (a corruption of Greek Ξυστος, Xystus, "polished") was pope from August 30, 257 to August 6, 258, following Stephen I as bishop of Rome in 257. He died as a martyr during the persecution by Emperor Valerian.

According to the Liber Pontificalis, he was Greek by birth; however this is uncertain and disputed^[1] by modern western historians arguing that the authors of Liber Pontificalis confused him with that of the contemporary author Xystus who was Greek student of Pythagoreanism. He restored the relations with the African and Eastern churches which had been broken off by his predecessor on the question of heretical baptism.

In the persecutions under Emperor Valerian I in 258, numerous priests and bishops were put to death. Pope Sixtus II was one of the first victims of this persecution, being beheaded on August 6. He was martyred along with six deacons—Januarius, Vincentius, Magnus, Stephanus, Felicissimus, and Agapitus ^[1].

He is thought to be the author of the pseudo-Cyprianic writing Ad Novatianum, though this view has not found general acceptance. Another composition written at Rome, between 253 and 258, is generally agreed to be his.

The following inscription honoring was placed on his tomb by Pope Saint Damasus I:

At the time when the sword pierced the bowels of the Mother, I, buried here, taught as Pastor the Word of God; when suddenly the soldiers rushed in and dragged me from the chair. The faithful offered their necks to the sword, but as soon as the Pastor saw the ones who wished to rob him of the palm (of martyrdom) he was the first to offer himself and his own head, not tolerating that the (pagan) frenzy should harm the others. Christ, who gives recompense, made manifest the Pastor's merit, preserving unharmed the flock.^{[citation needed]}

His feast day in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints is August 7.

1. ^ ^{a b} "Pope St. Sixtus II" in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.

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