Julius I

Pope Julius I (d. 352) was the Bishop of Rome from 337 to 352, whose pontificate was marked by his courageous support for Athanasius of Alexandria against the powerful Arian faction and his assertion of Rome's right to hear appeals from bishops deposed by regional councils. When Athanasius was deposed by an Arian-dominated synod and sought refuge in Rome, Julius convened a synod that declared the deposition unjust and received Athanasius into communion. His insistence that no bishop could be deposed without the approval of Rome established an important precedent for papal authority in ecclesiastical disputes. Julius is also controversially credited with setting December 25 as the date for the celebration of Christ's birth. While the origins of this date are debated among scholars, the tradition of a December 25 nativity celebration in Rome is attested during his pontificate.