Felix II

Antipope Felix II

Antipope Felix II (died 22 November 365 AD) holds a complex and historically debated position within the annals of the Papacy. He was initially installed as Pope in 355 AD, following the banishment of the reigning Pope Liberius by Emperor Constantius II. Liberius had been exiled for refusing to condemn Saint Athanasius, and Felix, previously an Archdeacon of Rome, was elevated in his stead.

Historical Context and Confusion

The situation in Rome became tumultuous in May 357 AD when the Roman laity, who remained loyal to Liberius, petitioned Emperor Constantius to recall him. The Emperor proposed a joint rule between Felix and Liberius, but upon Liberius's return, Felix was compelled to retire to Porto, near Rome. He made an unsuccessful attempt to regain his position in Rome before his death on November 22, 365 AD.

A significant historical distortion arose from the confusion between this antipope and a Roman martyr named Felix. This error led to the inclusion of Felix II in lists of Popes, consequently causing the succeeding Popes Felix III and Felix IV, as well as Antipope Felix V, to be assigned incorrect regnal numbers. The Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1909, described this confusion as a "distortion of the true facts."

Veneration and Legacy

Despite the historical inaccuracies, Felix II acquired the status of a saint and a confessor in local Roman history. He was included in the Roman Martyrology on July 29th, often described as a pope and martyr who defended the Catholic faith against the Arian emperor Constantius. However, the article text clarifies that his death was not a martyrdom, and the details surrounding his veneration often conflated him with the actual Roman martyr Felix.

More recent editions of the Roman Martyrology have sought to correct this confusion, listing Saint Felix, martyr, at the third milestone on the Via Portuensis, in the cemetery dedicated to his name, distinguishing him from the antipope. The identification of the saint of July 29th with the antipope, once found in the Roman Missal, has been omitted in later editions, acknowledging the "distortion of the true facts" and the subsequent correction of papal numerals.