Pope St. Stephen I with Madonna and Saints PIETRO DA CORTONA 1628 The Saint succeeded St. Lucius I as Pontiff during the reign of Emperor Valerian. During his three-year reign [254-257], he was faced with the problem of the readmission of the lapsed Catholics who had renounced the Faith out of fear of persecution, and now wanted to return to the Church. He sided with them, declaring that they were not to be reBaptized as some Churchmen thought they ought to be. He also dealt with liturgical matters, such as vestments, outlawing their use by anyone other than a member of the clergy and the lower orders. On his death he was buried in the Calixtus Cemetery on the Appian Way. Shortly after he died Valerian began persecuting the Christians; sometimes Stephen is referred to as a Martyr, because of the closeness of the dates. In art he is shown in papal robes but without any other symbol as such. His name means "crowned" in Greek.  --------Contact
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