Pope_Soter
Pope Soter
Head of the Catholic Church from c. 167 to c. 174
Pope Soter (Greek: Σωτήρ Latin: Soterius) was the bishop of Rome from c. 167 to his death in c. 174.[1] According to the Annuario Pontificio, the dates may have ranged from 162–168 to 170–177.[2] He was born in Fondi, Campania, today in the Lazio region of Italy.[3] Soter is known for declaring that marriage was valid only as a sacrament blessed by a priest and also for formally inaugurating Easter as an annual festival in Rome.[4] His name, from Greek Σωτήριος from σωτήρ "saviour", would be his baptismal name, as his lifetime predates the tradition of adopting papal names.