Lentorama 2025: Perfunctory Popes

Day 12: Sixtus II

A few days ago we looked at Pope St. Lucius, who may or may not have been martyred during the persecutions under the Roman emperor Valerian. In Sixtus II, we have a case of a short-time pope who was definitely martyred during these persecutions.

Sixtus is believed to have been a Greek who studied philosophy, but it's possible that he's been confused with Xystus, and author who was one of his contemporaries. 

Sixtus served just under a year, and used his time to restore relations between the Roman church with African and Eastern churches that had been broken by Pope Stephen I due to heresy. He may have been able to do much more, but Sixtus was one of the first Christian leaders killed after Valerian ordered the execution of high-ranking church figures in 258. Sixtus was killed along with six of his deacons.