St. Caius
Caius (Gaius) · 283 – 296
Reportedly a relative of Emperor Diocletian who strengthened clerical ranks during a calm period before the Great Persecution.
Caius was a Dalmatian who, according to tradition, was a kinsman of the emperor Diocletian. He served as pope for about twelve years during a period of relative peace for Christians, the calm before Diocletian's Great Persecution. He is credited with insisting that candidates for the episcopate pass through all the lower clerical orders first: porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, deacon, and priest. This formalized a career path for clergy that would endure for centuries. Caius died in 296, just a few years before the worst persecution the Church had ever faced.
Building a Clergy for What Was Coming
Caius couldn't have known that Diocletian would unleash the worst persecution in Church history, but his insistence on properly formed clergy meant the Church entered that crisis with trained, disciplined leaders. Sometimes the most important preparation happens before you know what you're preparing for.