St. Damasus I, pope
Today is the optional memorial of St. Damasus, the Supreme Pontiff from 366 to 384. Damasus, the son of a priest from Spain, was born in Rome about 305. He became a deacon and as a priest at the Church of San Lorenzo. When Pope Liberius died in 366, Damasus was chosen to succeed him in a disputed election in which a minority chose the anti-pope Ursinus. The two reigned simultaneously in Rome, which eventually led to violence between their supporters and Damasus's false accusation of a crime. His pontificate suffered from the rise of Arianism , and from several schisms including break-away groups in Antioch, Constantinople, Sardinia, and Rome. However, it was during Damasus's reign that Christianity was declared the religion of the Roman state. Pope Damasus fostered the development of the Church during this period by publishing a list of the books of both the Old and New Testaments. He also encouraged his longtime friend and secretary, St. Jerome, to translate the Bible into La...