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Saint Pope Innocent I








Pope Innocent I was the Pope from 401 to 417













In the Liber Pontificalis, Pope Innocent was born in the area of Albano Laziale and the son of a man by the name Innocentius. Pope Innocent took an immediate stake in both maintaining and extending the authority of the Seat of Rome upon becoming Pope. Saint Innocent protested Saint John Chrysostom's banishment from Constantinople and sent a delegation to intercede on his behalf in 405 that was led by Gaudentius of Brescia.


Saint Innocent sent a list of the Sacred Scripture to the Gallic Bishop Exsuperius of Toulouse. Remarkably, this list of official Scripture matched identically with the list approved during the Council of Trent over 1,000 years later. Saint Innocent also took an active role in the Pelagian controversy that erupted in Africa. In the Fall of 416, Saint Augustine of Hippo and four other Bishops wrote a letter to Saint Innocent asking for his support in condemning Pelagianism. Saint Innocent responded favorably to the letter and condemned the Pelagian teachings before excommunicating both Pelagius and Celestius from the Church.


On March 12th, 417, Saint Innocent died in Rome. Until a change in the thirteenth century, his feast day was celebrated on the date of his death. Starting from the thirteenth century his feast day has been celebrated on July 28th. His relics now reside in Gandersheim Abbey after being moved by Duke Liudolf of Saxony in 846 (with approval from Pope Sergius II).

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