Popes, Patriarchs, and Evangelists

Early Popes

By then end of the First Century, Rome was established as one of the three most important centers of Christian evangelism (with Antioch and Alexandria), and the primacy of the Bishop of Rome in the early Church was affirmed by the writings of Clement of Rome.

• Peter (d.65) — Leader of the Apostles and first Pope of the Catholic Church. Founded the first Christian Churches in Antioch and Rome. Martyred during reign of Nero by being Crucified upside down.
• Linus   (d.67) — Followed St. Peter as head of the church in Rome. Second pope.
• Anacletus   (d.88) — Third pope, following Linus and Peter. (aka. Cletus)
• Clement of Rome (d.99) — Fourth pope. His letters demonstrate the primacy of Roman pontiff. Recognized as leader of Christian Church after death of Peter, while Linus and Cletus were leaders of the Roman Church.

Evangelists and Biblical Authors

The symbols of the Four Evangelists are taken from Ezekiel 1:10. "And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four."

• Matthew (Angel) — Apostle and Evangelist who was a tax collector before being called to follow Jesus. Author of the Gospel of Matthew
• Mark (Winged Lion) — Traveling companion and interpreter for Peter in Asia Minor. Became first bishop of Alexandria. Author of the Gospel of Mark
• Luke (Winged Ox) — Disciple who traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys. Author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles
• John (Eagle) — Beloved disciple who cared for the Virgin Mary after the death of Jesus. Evangelized in Asia Minor for 60 years. Author of the Gospel of John, Revelation (aka Apocalypse), and three epistles: 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John
• Paul (Sword) — Greatest Christian missionary of the Apostolic age, and author of many epistles in the New Testament, including Romans, Ephesians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Galatians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, Philemon, Timothy, Titus
• James (Saw) — James the Lesser, Apostle who is thought to have been head of the church in Jerusalem. Author of the epistle James.
• Jude (Ship) — Apostle who is said to have preached in Samaria, Syria and Mesopotamia. Suffered martyrdom with Simon the Zealot. Author of the epistle Jude.
• Peter (Keys) — Leader of the Apostles and first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Author of two epistles: 1 Peter, 2 Peter

Apostolic Fathers

Many of the earliest leaders of the Christian Church were well educated Romans who sought to defend the teachings of the Church against pagan critics, as well as to preach to Christian believers. Most were martyred and died proclaiming their faith in Christ.

• Clement of Rome (d.99)
  Fourth pope and first Apostolic father of the Church. Even before serving as bishop of Rome, he was recognized as leader of Christians. Martyred by being tied to an anchor and thrown in the sea.
• Ignatius of Antioch (d.110)
  Disciple of St. John the Apostle and third Bishop of Antioch. Wrote famous letters testifying to his faith in Christ on the way to Martyrdom by being fed to lions in the Amphitheatre.
• Polycarp of Smyrna (d.155)
  Disciple of John the Apostle who became bishop of Smyrna and is considered a father of the church. Martyred by being burned at the stake, and then stabbed when the flames refused to touch him.
• Justin Martyr (d.154)
  Early apologist for the Christian church whose writings in defense of Christian communities are still existent. Martyred by Beheading under Marcus Aurelius.

Early Patriarchs

By the fourth century, the bishops of three cities were recognized as patriarchs, or universal bishops of the early Church.

• Antioch
  The Church of Antioch in Syria was founded by St. Peter and became an important center of Christian evangelism, especially after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A,D,. Paul’s missionary journeys began from Antioch, and Ignatius of Antioch was one of the early Patriarchs. The School of Antioch was founded in the 2nd century.
• Alexandria
  The Church of Alexandria in Egypt was founded by St. Mark the Evangelist, and became the center of Christian teaching in Africa. The Catechetical School of Alexandria was the leading seminary during the first century. Early Scholars and Bishops associated with Alexandria include Clement of Alexandria, and Origen.
• Rome
  The Church of Rome was founded by St. Peter and it was recognized as the center of Christian evangelism in Europe. The leadership of Peter and Clement of Rome established the primacy of Rome in the first century.

At one time the Bishop of Edessa was recognized as the Patriarch of Persia (Iran), but the "Church of the East" became divided by heresies. By the fifth century it had separated from the Catholic Church and was the center of Nestorian Christendom.

By the fifth century the bishops of both Constantinople and Jerusalem were recognized as Patriarchs, and the bishop of Constantinople sought primacy among all Eastern Churches. By the 8th century, however, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria — three of the great cities of Eastern Christendom — were lost to the Moslems, and by the 11th century, even Constantinople had fallen into schism.