Pope Felix I

Felix I, pope (January 5, 269 – December 30, 274), a Roman by birth, succeeded Dionysius after his death on December 26 268 as Pope, being elected in January 269. Regarding his pontificate there is little authentic information, but he is said to have given ecclesiastical sanction to the yearly celebration of the mass over the graves of the martyrs, a custom, however, which had previously been in existence; and the law regarding the consecration of churches is also ascribed to Áhim. On account of, it is said, his having strongly supported the Christians during the persecutions under the emperor Aurelian, he was enrolled among the martyrs, his feast day being December 30, the date of his death in 274.

A fragment of a letter to Maximus, bishop of Alexandria, in support of the doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation against the arguments of Paul of Samosata, was in all probability written by Felix, but three other letters ascribed to him are certainly not genuine.

This article uses text from the 9th edition (1879) of an unnamed encyclopedia