Saint Caius

The persecution against the Christians was so bloody at that time in the city of Rome that they were forced to remain hidden in caverns and amidst the tombs, in order to preserve their lives for a few moments among the dead, since the living sought only to take them away.

Our holy Pope suffered much because of the zeal he had for confirming the faithful in the faith of Jesus Christ. It was he who advised the patrician Chromatius to r eceive all the Chris patricien Chromatius Landowner punished and subsequently healed by the saint. tians into his country house, in order to preserve those among them who wished to flee the rage of their persecutors.

One Sunday, he went to this house of Chromatius, and said to all the assembled faithful: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing the fragility of human nature, has established two different degrees for all those who believe in him: Confession and Martyrdom, so that those who do not believe they can endure the rigor of torments may nevertheless preserve the grace of faith through their confession." Then he said to them: "Let those who wish to remain in the house of Chromatius remain there with Tiburtius; and let those who prefer to go with me to the city, come there."

It was then that he made Mark and Marcellinus deacons, that he raised their father Tranquillinus to the priesthoo d, that he esta saint Sébastien Martyr noted for his execution by arrows. blished Saint Sebastian as defender of the Church, and that he showed his tenderness to all the faithful.

He made a decree, by which he ordered that he who would be elected bishop should ascend to this dignity through the orders of porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, deacon, and priest. He is not the first author of this ordinance, since it was practiced in the time of the Apostles; but he renewed it, so that no one would be admitted to the episcopate without having previously officiated and served the time that was prescribed in the other orders inferior to this dignity.

A very serious Epistle is attributed to Saint Caius, worthy of the hand of such a gre at Pontiff, c grand Pontife Pope and uncle of Saint Susanna. oncerning the mystery of the Incarnation of the eternal Word. Finally, after having holily filled the first throne of the Church for twelve years, four months, and some days, and having ordained twenty-five priests, eight deacons, and five bishops, in four instances when he performed Ordinations in the month of December, according to custom, he received the crown of martyrdom on April 22, in the year of Our L cimetière de Calliste Burial place of Saint Pontian in Rome. ord 295, and was buried in the cemetery of Callixtus.

His body was found there in 1622, with an inscription suitable for identifying it and two coins of Diocle tian, his Dioclétien Roman emperor under whom the martyrdom is said to have taken place. relative. Pope Gr egory XV gave th pape Grégoire XV Pope who elevated the congregation to the rank of a regular order in 1621. e greater part of it to Alfonso Gonzaga, Archbishop of Rhodes, who had it transported to Novellara, in Lombardy: Novellara Town in Lombardy where the relics were transferred. a small portion of his relics remained in Rome, in the chapel of the Oratory. A church had been erected early on at the site of Saint Caius's house: Urban VIII had it repaired in 1631.

There are relics of his at the Saint-Charles hospice and at the Carmel of Amiens.

See the lives of Saint Se bastia Amiens Episcopal see of Geoffrey. n and Saint Susanna and the various histories of the Church and the Popes.