Pope Damasus I

Lore & Background

Pope Damasus I was born around 305, either in Rome or Hispania, and moved to Rome as a child with his parents, Antonius and Laurentia, who were from Lusitania. His father became a priest at the Church of St. Lawrence, and Damasus began his ecclesiastical career as a deacon there. He served as archdeacon of the Roman church under Pope Liberius, whom he followed into exile before returning to Rome. Damasus was later exonerated at a synod in 378, while Ursinus was condemned. As pope, Damasus faced accusations of murder and adultery, though these may have been motivated by Arian opposition. He condemned the heresies of Apollinarianism and Macedonianism at Roman synods in 368 and 369, and sent legates to the First Council of Constantinople in 381. He also helped reconcile relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of Antioch, encouraged the veneration of martyrs, and appointed Jerome as his confidential secretary, supporting the creation of the Vulgate Bible. Damasus wrote Latin verse, including an epitaph for a young girl named Projecta, described by Alan Cameron as 'a tissue of tags and clichés shakily strung together.' He has been called 'the first society Pope' and may have been part of a group of Hispanic Christians close to Emperor Theodosius I.

Reader's Guide

Pope Damasus I is significant for his role in defining the biblical canon at the Council of Rome of 382, a list later reaffirmed at the Council of Trent. His support for Jerome's translation of the Bible into Latin produced the Vulgate, which became the standard text for Western Christianity for over a millennium. His papacy also saw the consolidation of papal authority amid violent succession disputes and doctrinal challenges, including the condemnation of Apollinarianism and Macedonianism. Damasus encouraged the veneration of martyrs and worked to improve relations between the Roman and Antiochene churches. Images of 'DAMAS' on gold glass cups are considered the first surviving contemporary depictions of a pope, though they show no attempt at a likeness. His feast day is 11 December. The controversies surrounding his election and the massacres of Ursinian supporters remain a notable aspect of his legacy, reflecting the turbulent intersection of church and state in the 4th century.

Did You Know?

• Damasus was archdeacon of the Roman church when Pope Liberius was banished by Emperor Constantius II in 354, and he followed Liberius into exile before returning to Rome.
• Damasus appointed Jerome as his confidential secretary, and Jerome spent three years (382–385) in Rome writing his answers to questions from councils of the east and west.
• Images of 'DAMAS' on gold glass cups are the first surviving contemporary images of a pope, though they show no real attempt at a likeness.
• Damasus wrote an epitaph for a young girl named Projecta, which Alan Cameron described as 'a tissue of tags and clichés shakily strung together and barely squeezed into the meter.'