Linus of Rome

Linus of Rome, also known simply as Linus, is widely recognized as the second bishop of Rome, following Saint Peter. His pontificate is generally placed between approximately 68 AD and his death in 80 AD. His significance lies in his early leadership of the nascent Christian community in Rome and his connection to the apostles.

Historical Context and Succession

Early Christian writers, including Irenaeus, Hegesippus, Jerome, and Eusebius, consistently list Linus as the successor to Peter in the episcopate of Rome. Irenaeus, writing around 180 AD, stated that the apostles Peter and Paul, after founding the Church in Rome, committed the office of the episcopate to Linus. While this placement might suggest he was the first pope, the convention of regarding Peter as the first pope began to take hold from the late 2nd or early 3rd century.

Jerome described Linus as "the first after Peter to be in charge of the Roman Church," a sentiment echoed by Eusebius, who noted him as "the first to receive the episcopate of the church at Rome, after the martyrdom of Paul and Peter." The Liber Pontificalis further elaborates, listing Linus as the second bishop of Rome and suggesting Peter consecrated him and Anacletus for priestly service while dedicating himself to prayer and preaching.

Life and Ministry

According to the Liber Pontificalis, Linus was Italian, born in Volterra in Tuscany, the son of Herculanus. The Apostolic Constitutions mention his mother Claudia, though the Bible's Second Epistle to Timothy, where Linus is named alongside Claudia, does not explicitly link them as mother and son. The same source attributes a decree to Linus that women should cover their heads in church and that he created the first 15 bishops.

Scholarly consensus questions the authenticity of these specific decrees. J.P. Kirsch, in the Catholic Encyclopedia, suggests the decree about women's head coverings was likely apocryphal, copied from Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians and arbitrarily attributed to Linus. Similarly, the assertion that Linus suffered martyrdom, also found in the Liber Pontificalis, is considered improbable by some historians, as there is no clear record of persecution of the Roman Church during his tenure. The Roman Martyrology does not categorize him as a martyr.

Legacy

Linus is commemorated liturgically on September 23rd. His name is prominently included in the Roman Canon of the Mass, underscoring his enduring veneration within the Catholic Church. A tomb discovered in Saint Peter's Basilica bearing the inscription "LINVS" was once thought to be his, but later analysis suggested it might be the end of a longer name. The Liber Pontificalis claims his burial site is on the Vatican Hill, adjacent to Saint Peter.

The city of Saint-Lin–Laurentides in Canada is named in his honor. While direct historical details about his life are scarce and often intertwined with hagiography, Linus holds a foundational place in the succession of the See of Rome.