St. Soter, Pope and Martyr

St. Soter is said to have been born at Fondi, Latium, of a Greek father. He was elected the twelfth Bishop of Rome about 166-167.

Little is known of his life apart from a letter written to the Romans and addressed to St. Soter by St. Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth. As quoted by Eusebius in the early Fourth Century, the letter reads in part:

For from the beginning it has been your practice to do good to all the brethren in various ways, and to send contributions to many churches in every city. Thus relieving the want of the needy, and making provision for the brethren in the mines by the gifts which you have sent from the beginning, you Romans keep up the hereditary customs of the Romans, which your blessed bishop Soter has not only maintained, but also added to, furnishing an abundance of supplies to the saints, and encouraging the brethren from abroad with blessed words, as a loving father his children....

Today we have passed the Lord's holy day, in which we have read your epistle. From it, whenever we read it, we shall always be able to draw advice, as also from the former epistle, which was written to us through Clement. [Ecclesiastical History, IV,xxiii]

The letter St. Soter wrote to the Corinthians has been lost. According to St. Dionysius, St. Sotor was continuing a tradition that went back to the first pope:

You have thus by such an admonition bound together the planting of Peter and of Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both of them planted and likewise taught us in our Corinth. And they taught together in like manner in Italy, and suffered martyrdom at the same time. [Ecclesiastical History, II,xxv,9-11]

Other actions St. Soter is reputed to have taken include forbidding women to touch altar linens and to minister at the burning of incense.

According to the Roman Martyrology, St. Sotor was martyred on April 22 on the Appian Way in Rome. He is buried in the church of St. Sixtus; in the cemetery of St. Callistus, there is a cella (a memorial chapel) dedicated to his memory.