Page 4 - GC-Nov-Dec-23

Who was St. Sylvester?

by Martin Ederer looking in opposite directions. pope from 314 until his death on
ost German-speaking Hence this was solid imagery for Dec. 31, 335. Most remaining de-
parts of Europe refer to putting the old in the past and the tails about his pontificate – some
MNew Year’s Eve as Sil- new in the future. The Gregorian more accurate than others – have to
vesterabend. That name refers to Calendar made it official – although do with his (often challenging) rela-
feast of St. Sylvester, which falls on Protestant and Orthodox parts of tionship with the Roman Emperor
Dec. 31. On the current calendar Europe hesitated to adopt the new Constantine. Most importantly, Syl-
that is the last day of the year. It (but better) “Catholic calendar.” vester had the distinction of being
bears mention that prior to the new The Protestant British, for example, the first pope to serve his entire
Gregorian Calendar – authorized by clung to the older Julian Calendar pontificate over a fully legal Christi-
the Council of Trent (1545-1563) until 1752. Russia did not adopt it anity after Constantine had ended all
and finally rolled out in 1582 during until – ironically – the Bolshevik Roman legal sanctions against the
the pontificate of Pope Gregory Revolution. Christian church. The vast majority Pope Sylvester I portrayed turning a dragon out of the Roman Forum
XIII – New Year’s Day could vary So how does St. Sylvester fit of Sylvester’s predecessors had died and reviving its victims.
from place to place. In many places into the story? In large part by martyr’s deaths. cultural heritage. As a result, Syl- called Nicaea I. One of the reasons
in Europe, the date could have been chance and by having a feast in the Since Christianity had only been
vester is credited with construction Constantine had legalized Christi-
(among others) March 1 (very an- right place at the right time. St. Syl- legalized in 313, Sylvester had be- of the Basilica of the Holy Cross in anity was to help foster unity in a
cient Roman tradition), March 25 vester, by the way, really had noth- come the recipient of Constantine’s
Jerusalem, Rome’s great Lateran badly fragmented Roman Empire –
(Feast of the Annunciation) or Dec. ing to do with any German largesse – owing to the emperor’s Basilica, and the original St. Peter’s only to discover that Christianity
25 (Christmas), or Jan. 1 (later Ro- connection. German-speaking peo- reported vision at the Milvian
Basilica which stood until the cur- had internal divisions of its own. In
man tradition) – all solid choices. ple are also not the only people to Bridge in 312, to the fact that Con- rent Renaissance-era Basilica re- the end, the Arian heresy lingered
Prior to the rollout of the new speak of Sylvester when referring to stantine’s mother, St. Helena was a
placed it. on into the 700s, but the council had
Gregorian Calendar, Jan. 1 regained New Year’s Eve. Christian, and also owing to Con- Sylvester also sent delegates to made clear what “official” Christi-
growing popularity as the start of Who was St. Sylvester anyway? stantine’s eagerness to make the First Council of Nicaea (325), anity needed to believe. Sylvester
the new year. It made some sense. The few things we know about him amends for earlier government per- which definitively condemned the for his part helped to further solidi-
The Roman god Janus, for whom is that he was the son of a Roman secution of Christianity and destruc-
Arian Heresy, and resulted in a de- fy growing teachings that papal au-
January was named, had two faces named Rufinus. He was the 33rd tion of their churches and their
finitive statement of basic Christian thority stood over all secular
doctrines that we now call the authority.
Nicene Creed. Ironically enough, Sylvester was also credited (in-
Constantine, not yet a Christian, had correctly) by the 500s with baptiz-