Anacletus

Pope Anacletus (also known as Cletus; born c. AD 16, died c. AD 92) was the third Bishop of Rome, succeeding Linus and preceding Clement I. He is one of the earliest popes listed among the Roman martyrs, though historical records of his pontificate are sparse and dates remain uncertain. The 2012 Annuario Pontificio places his pontificate from AD 80 to 92, following Eusebius and Jerome, though 76 to 88 is also cited in older sources. The name question is itself complex: Irenaeus, Eusebius, Augustine, and Optatus all treat Cletus and Anacletus as the same person, while the Liberian Catalogue counts them separately. Today the consensus follows Irenaeus. According to tradition, Anacletus divided Rome into twenty-five parishes and ordained a number of priests — one of the few acts mentioned in surviving records. The Liber Pontificalis describes him as of Greek ancestry, though Wikipedia's sources identify him simply as Roman. A claim that he was ordained by St. Peter himself circulates in pious tradition but is not confirmed by early historical sources. Anacletus died a martyr, probably around AD 91–92. A tomb ascribed to him lies near St. Peter's tomb in the Vatican Necropolis field P, beneath St. Peter's Basilica, though the epigraphic evidence linking these tombs to the early popes is limited. His name, as Cletus, is included in the Roman Canon of the Mass, giving him a place in Catholic liturgy that has endured for centuries.