[Rank]
S. Eleutherius pope and martyr;;Simplex;;1.1;;vide C2

[Rule]
vide C2;

[Oratio]
Mercifully consider our weakness, O Almighty God, and whereas by the burden of~
our sins we are sore let blessed Elerutherius your Martyr be mercifully pleased to~
deliver us from all things which may hurt our bodies, and from all evil thoughts~
which may defile our souls
$Per Dominum

[Lectio93]
Eleutherius was a Greek by race, and was born at Nicopolis, a city of Epirus.~
His father's name was Abundius. He was a Priest of the holy Roman Church. In the~
year of our Lord 179, during the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Augustus,~
after the death of Soter, he was chosen Bishop of Rome by the votes of all the~
clergy. He discharged the duties of this office excellently, and with all praise,~
for fifteen years and twenty-three days. He held three ordinations in the month~
of December, wherein he ordained twelve Priests, eight Deacons, and fifteen~
Bishops for divers places. He was consulted by the church of Lyons by letter~
concerning certain questions. The bearer of these letters was that most learned~
Irenaeus. Him he hospitably welcomed, and to him he opened the traditions of the~
Apostles which the Church of Rome had kept pure. He condemned the superstitious~
dry-meat system of the Montanists. He laid down excellent rules as to the~
right form of church sentences. When Marcion and Valentine had oftentimes~
relapsed he cast them out of the Church. In his days the Church enjoyed the~
utmost peace, and he brought many even of the chiefest of Rome to believe in~
Christ. He received letters by messengers from Lleurwg, Prince of the Britons~
(of Morganwg,) praying him for ministers of the Word of God, and he sent unto~
him Fagan and Dyfan, Priests of the Roman Church, through whose hands the Prince~
himself, with his whole household and nearly all his subjects, were born again~
in the sacred washing of regeneration. At length, when he had done all these~
things and others for the worship of God, Eleutherius died a holy death upon the~
28th day of May, (in the year of our Lord 192,) in the reign of the Emperor~
Commodus, and was buried upon the Vatican Mount.
&teDeum
