Home > Pope Fabian

pope, or bishop of Rome, in January 236 in succession to Pope Anterus. Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. Vi. 29) relates how the Christians, having assembled in Rome to elect a new bishop, saw a dove alight upon the head of Fabian, a stranger to the city, who was thus marked out for this dignity, and was at once proclaimed bishop, although there were several famous men among the candidates for the vacant position. Fabian was martyred during the persecution under the emperor Trajan Decius, his death taking place on the January 20 250, and was buried in the catacomb of Callixtus, where a memorial has been found.

He is said to have baptized the emperor Philip and his son, to have done some building in the catacombs, to have improved the organization of the church in Rome, and to have appointed officials to register the deeds of the martyrs.

According to "later accounts, more or less trustworthy" according to the Catholic Encyclopedia he sent out the "apostles to the Gauls" to Christianize Gaul after the persecutions under Emperor Decius had all but dissolved the small Christian communities. Fabian sent out seven bishops from Rome to Gaul to preach the Gospel: Gatien to Tours, TrophimusAccording to Catholic lore, Saint Trophimus of Arles or Saint Trophime was the first bishop of Arles, in today's southern France. Under the co-Emperors Decius and Gratus ( 250- 251 CE), Pope Fabian sent out seven bishops from Rome to Gaul, to preach the G to ArlesMediterranean, showing location of Arles Arles Arle in Provencal) is a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhone departement of which it is a sous-prefecture in the former province of Provence. Geography The Rhone river divides itself in two ar, Paul to NarbonneNarbonne (Narbona in Occitan) (population 50,000) is a city of southwestern France, in the Aude departement of which it is a sous-prefecture''. It is located next to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and by the Aude River. History Modern-day Narbonne was, SaturninSaint Saturnin (in Latin Saturninus now Sernin in France and in Navarra Cernin , with a feast day entered for November 29, was one of the "apostles to the Gauls" sent out (probably under the direction of Pope Fabian, 236 250) during the consulate of Deciu to ToulouseToulouse Tolosa in Occitan) is a city in southwest France on the banks of the Garonne River, half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With a population of 1. 05 million inhabitants, the Toulouse metropolitan area is the second larges, DenisSaint Denis also known as Denys Dionysius or Dennis is a Christian saint, bishop of Paris, martyr, and a patron saint of France. He died around 250. Gregory of Tours simply states of Denis that he was bishop of the Parisii and was martyred by being behead to ParisEiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital and largest city of France. The city is built on an arc of the River Seine, and is thus divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to, Austromoine to Clermont, and Martial to Limoges. Fabian seems to have been martyred in Rome, however, at the beginning of the "Decian persecutions."

His deeds are thus described in the Liber Pontificalis: Hic regiones dividit diaconibus et fecit vii subdiacones, qui vii notariis imminerent, Ut gestas martyrum integro fideliter colligerent, et multas fabricas per cymiteria fieri praecepit. ("He divided these regions into deaconships and made seven sub-deaconships which seven secretaries oversaw, so that they brought together the deeds of the martyrs faithfully made whole, and he brought forth many works in the cemeteries.")

Although there is very little authentic information about Fabian, there is evidence that his episcopate was one of great importance in the history of the early church. He was highly esteemed by Cyprian, bishop of Carthage; Novatian refers to his nobilissimac memoriae, and he corresponded with Origen. One authority refers to him as Flavian.

from a 1911 encyclopedia