St. Julius I
Julius · 337 – 352
Defended Athanasius against Arian bishops and established Rome as a court of appeal for doctrinal disputes.
Julius I became pope in 337, the year Constantine died, and spent much of his pontificate in a dogfight with Arian-leaning Eastern bishops. When Athanasius of Alexandria was deposed and exiled by an Eastern synod, he fled to Rome. Julius took him in, reviewed the case, and declared the deposition invalid. He wrote a blistering letter to the Eastern bishops asserting that major doctrinal cases must be referred to Rome. The Council of Sardica in 343 backed him up, granting the bishop of Rome the right to hear appeals. Julius also built several churches in Rome and is credited with fixing December 25 as the date for Christmas in the Western calendar.
The Pope Who Stood by Athanasius
When the most important theologian of the fourth century needed a safe harbor, Julius provided one. His willingness to overrule Eastern synods and shelter Athanasius was not just personal loyalty. It was a practical assertion that Rome had the final word in the Church.
Setting the Date for Christmas
The reasons behind choosing December 25 are debated, but Julius is the pope traditionally associated with making it official in the West. Whatever the calculation, it stuck.