A question about the line of popes

[flower_lady]

I looked up the line of popes in which I have several times before but never really paid that much attention to the notes after them. Example; next to the 21st pope, St. Cornelius it states that he was opposed by Novatian. an antipope (251). Who was the person he was opposed by, another Bishop and just exactly what does that mean? How can a pope be anti pope. What does all of this mean? Thank you.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I looked up the line of popes in which I have several times before but never really paid that much attention to the notes after them. Example; next to the 21st pope, St. Cornelius it states that he was opposed by Novatian. an antipope (251). Who was the person he was opposed by, another Bishop and just exactly what does that mean? How can a pope be anti pope. What does all of this mean? Thank you.

If you have studied anything about monarchies and succession, it it a little easier to grasp. That said, its really not complicated. An antipope is an individual who has a generally accepted competing claim for the papacy against a “reigning”, legitimately elected Pope.

The instance you mention is particularly noteworthy historically, as Novatian founded a movement that advocated a strict policy that would not allow for lapsed Christians who denied their faith under persecution to be readmitted to the Church. Novatian, a priest, opposed the election of Cornelius who was accused of being lax with respect to readmission of these lapsed Christians. Novatianism was deemed heresy for denying that the Church had the power grant absolution in such cases, and for adopting certain non-Catholic practices such as re-Baptism of converts.

 

[dmar198]

I looked up the line of popes in which I have several times before but never really paid that much attention to the notes after them. Example; next to the 21st pope, St. Cornelius it states that he was opposed by Novatian. an antipope (251). Who was the person he was opposed by, another Bishop and just exactly what does that mean? How can a pope be anti pope. What does all of this mean? Thank you.

In case you are interested, Pope St. Cornelius himself wrote a letter about Antipope Novatian, explaining how he became an antipope and what some of his errors were. The letter is one of the few papal letters that still exist from before 313 A.D. It is translated here:

Letter About Novatian by Pope St. Cornelius
historyandapologetics.com/2015/03/letter-about-novatian-by-pope-st.html

It’s interesting to get the story straight from the pope in question.

 

[flower_lady]

In case you are interested, Pope St. Cornelius himself wrote a letter about Antipope Novatian, explaining how he became an antipope and what some of his errors were. The letter is one of the few papal letters that still exist from before 313 A.D. It is translated here:

Letter About Novatian by Pope St. Cornelius
historyandapologetics.com/2015/03/letter-about-novatian-by-pope-st.html

It’s interesting to get the story straight from the pope in question.

Thank you