The church in the Vicus Patricius, therefore, which existed previous to the creation of titles, was not itself a title. It continued to be the episcopal, or rather the pontifical church of Rome. The pontificate of St. Pius I., from 142 to 157, forms an interesting period in its history, for two reasons.
First, that Pope, without altering the character of the church itself, added to it an oratory which he made a title;[125] and having collated to it his brother Pastor, it was called the titulus Pastoris, the designation, for a long time, of the cardinalate attached to the church. This shows that the church itself was more than a title.
Secondly, in this pontificate came to Rome, for the second time, and suffered martyrdom, the holy and learned apologist St. Justin. By comparing his writings with his Acts,[126] we come to some interesting conclusions respecting Christian worship in times of persecution.
“In what place do the Christians meet?” he is asked by the judge.
“Do you think,” he replies, “that we all meet in one place? It is not so.” But when interrogated where he lived, and where he held meetings with his disciples, he answered, “I have lived till now near the house of a certain Martin, at the bath known as the Timotine. I have come to Rome for the second time, nor do I know any other place but the one I have mentioned.” The Timotine or Timothean baths were part of the house of the Pudens family, and are those at which we have said that Fulvius and Corvinus met early one morning. Novatus and Timotheus were the brothers of the holy virgins Praxedes and Pudentiana; and hence the baths were called the Novatian and the Timotine, as they passed from one brother to another.
St. Justin, therefore, lived on this spot, and, as he knew no other in Rome, attended divine worship there. The very claims of hospitality would suggest it. Now in his apology, describing the Christian liturgy, of course such as he saw it, he speaks of the officiating priest in terms that sufficiently describe the bishop, or supreme pastor of the place; not only by giving him a title applied to bishops in antiquity,[127] but by describing him as the person who has the care of orphans and widows, and succors the sick, the indigent, prisoners, strangers who come as guests, who, “in one word, undertakes to provide for all in want.” This could be no other than the bishop or pope himself.
We must further observe, that St. Pius is recorded to have erected a fixed baptismal font in this church, another prerogative of the cathedral, transferred with the papal altar to the Lateran. It is related that the holy Pope Stephen (A.D. 257) baptized the tribune Nemesius and his family, with many others, in the title of Pastor.[128] And here it was that the blessed deacon Laurentius distributed the rich vessels of the Church to the poor.
In time this name has given way to another. But the place is the same; and no doubt can exist, that the church of St. Pudentiana was, for the first three centuries, the humble cathedral of Rome.
It was to this spot, therefore, that Torquatus unwillingly consented to lead Fulvius, that he might witness the December ordination.
We find either in sepulchral inscriptions, in martyrologies, or in ecclesiastical history, abundant traces of all the orders, as still conferred in the Catholic Church. Inscriptions perhaps more commonly record those of Lector or reader, and of Exorcist. We will give one interesting example of each. Of a Lector: