On April 22nd the Church venerates Sts. Soter and Caius, both of whom were popes of the early Church and martyrs.

Pope St. Soter was born in Fundi, Italy, but the exact date of his birth is unknown. What is known is that he was elected pope in 166 A.D. and served until his death in 174 A.D.

He was renowned for his charity and generosity. The 4th century Christian work Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius includes a letter written by Bishop St. Dionysius of Corinth to St. Soter that highlights the latter’s Christian virtues. This same letter also reveals that a letter by St. Soter was read in the church in Corinth alongside the epistle of St. Clement and was highly esteemed.

As pope, St. Soter opposed heresies particularly Montanism which taught that a Christian who had gravely sinned could never be redeemed.

Pope St. Caius was elected to his office in 283 A.D. and served for 13 years. During his papacy, St. Caius decreed that a man must be a priest before he could be ordained a bishop.

He was a relative of Emperor Diocletian (242 – 312 A.D.) – who ordered the Diocletianic or Great Persecution of Christians in the 4th century. The years-long persecution drove Christians into hiding in caverns and cemeteries.

The emperor did not spare St. Caius just because he was a relative. Some historical records claim that St. Caius himself went into hiding within the Roman catacombs for eight years where he served as a confessor until his death in 296 A.D.

St. Caius is said to have encouraged a patrician named Chromatius to receive the known disciples of Christ at his home. He himself visited the disciples and talked about Christian confession and martyrdom. When he returned to Rome, some of the gathered men such as Sts. Marcus and Marcillinus, and St. Sebastian joined him and all were martyred.

Both St. Soter and St. Caius are buried in the catacomb cemetery of Callixtus in Rome, Italy.

Other Saints of the Day:
St. Mucius of Persia
St. Mareas
St. James of Persia
St. Bicor
St. Leonidas of Alexandria