It is said that he was pope from 166 to 174, that he declared that marriage was valid only as a sacrament blessed by a priest, and that he inaugurated Easter as an annual festival in Rome.
The Catholic Encyclopedia says that nothing more is known of Pope Soter other than that Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth wrote him a letter, of which an extract is preserved, praising his charity and referring to a letter from him.
Saint Soter's feast day is celebrated on April 22, along with that of Saint Caius, and the feast is properly commemorated as Saints Soter and Caius, Popes and Martyrs. The entry in the Roman Martyrology about St Soter is as follows: "At Rome, Saint Soter, Pope, whom Dionysius of Corinth praises for his outstanding charity towards needy exiled Christians who came to him, and towards those who had been condemned to the mines."
It has often been supposed that all the earliest Popes suffered martyrdom; but the Roman Martyrology does not give Pope Soter the title of Martyr.
The name Soter derives from the Greek word "σωτήρ" (sōtēr), meaning a saviour, a deliverer.
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Last updated on Wednesday July 23, 2008 at 00:29:02 PDT (GMT -0700)
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