Crow (pope)

See also: Crow

Corneille is the twenty and unième Pape and succeeds Fabien, 16 month after the death of this one the January 10th 250. Indeed, the persecution of the emperor Dèce is of such a violence that the Christians of Rome must wait more than one year to elect a new bishop. In this difficult context, the administrative organization of the Church, installation by Fabien, proves its effectiveness and allows a collective decision making of the various clerks. However the primacy of the Church of Rome is already affirmed and to answer the requests of the other Churches the clerks call upon Novatien, author of many works and who has according to the criteria of the time a beautiful feather. Novatien is persuaded of it: it is the only one with being able to be elected new bishop of Rome.

In March 251 the election takes place and surprised: it is the Corneille priest who is elected. The reason in is simple. Many Christians, at the time of the persecution of Dèce, abjured their faith by fear or opportunism. They are numerous to want to return in the Church again. Two attitudes are opposed then: intransigents around Novatien, and those followers of the forgiveness who succeed in making elect Corneille. A new schism appears then because three Italian bishops agree to crown Novatien whereas the near total of the other Churches recognize Corneille. A synod, joined together in autumn 251, with the bishop Denys of Alexandria and Cyprien of Carthage, approves the leniency of Crow and excommunicates Novatien for its hardness towards repented.

The patriarch Fabien d' Antioche in favor, like many Eastern bishops, of more than firmness, is the recipient of a letter sent by Corneille or this one argues its point of view. The fragments which we still have reveal that Rome at that time (medium of IIIe century) account approximately 150 Christian ecclesiastics including 7 deacons, 46 priests and… 52 exorcists.

Crow is off-set on order of the emperor Trébonien Galle with Centumcellae Civitavecchia with the end of the year 252 where he dies in a natural way probably seems he in 253. Its body is brought back to Rome and is deposited in the Catacombe of Saint-Calixte.

A Breton legend identifies it with a Saint Cornély.

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