*** Welcome to piglix ***

Pope Sixtus III

Pope Saint
Sixtus III
Pope-Sixtus-III.jpg
Papacy began 31 July 432
Papacy ended 18 August 440
Predecessor Celestine I
Successor Leo I
Personal details
Birth name Sixtus
Died 18 August 440(440-08-18)
Rome, Western Roman Empire
Sainthood
Feast day 28 March
Papal styles of
Pope Sixtus III
Emblem of the Papacy SE.svg
Reference style His Holiness
Spoken style Your Holiness
Religious style Holy Father
Posthumous style Saint

Pope Sixtus III (died 18 August 440) was Pope from 31 July 432 to his death in 440.

The name of Sixtus is often connected with a great building boom in Rome: Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill was dedicated during his pontificate and he built Santa Maria Maggiore, whose dedication to Mary the Mother of God reflected his acceptance of the Ecumenical council of Ephesus which closed in 431. At that council, the debate over Christ's human and divine natures turned on whether Mary could legitimately be called the "Mother of God" or only "Mother of Christ". The council gave her the Greek title Theotokos (literally "God-bearer", or "Mother of God"), and the dedication of the large church in Rome is a response to that.

Prior to being made Pope, Sixtus was a patron of Pelagius, who was later condemned as a heretic.

One of his main concerns was in restoring peace between Cyril of Alexandria and the Syrians.

He also maintained the rights of the Pope over Illyria and the position of the archbishop of Thessalonica as head of the local Illyrian church.

His feast is kept on 28 March.


...
Wikipedia

...