Saint Damasus I

Pope
(c. 305–384)

Saint Damasus I served as Bishop of Rome from 366 to 384 and is one of the most important popes of the fourth century, the great century of theological definition and imperial establishment of the Christian faith. He was born around 305, probably in Rome, of a Spanish family that had long been associated with the Roman Church, his father having served as a priest and eventually a bishop. He served as a deacon under Pope Liberius and was elected to the papacy in 366 in circumstances of considerable violence, as a rival faction supported the antipope Ursinus.

His pontificate was marked by two achievements of lasting importance. The first was his vigorous promotion of the Roman primacy as the theological principle underlying the unity of the Church. He articulated with great clarity the teaching that the authority of the see of Rome rests not on any conciliar decree but on the words of Christ to Peter, and he maintained this position against the attempts of the Emperor Theodosius to locate authority in the conciliar consensus of bishops. His correspondence on this theme laid foundations for the medieval doctrine of papal authority.

The second great achievement of his pontificate was the commission he gave to his secretary and friend Jerome to revise the Latin translations of the Bible then in use, a project that eventually resulted in the Vulgate. He also encouraged Jerome in his scholarly work more generally, and their correspondence reveals a close intellectual partnership. Damasus himself was a man of learning and composed Latin epigrams for the tombs of the Roman martyrs, some of which survive and are among the earliest examples of Christian Latin poetry.

He died on December 11, 384, and was buried at the cemetery of the Via Ardeatina. His feast is celebrated on December 11th.