Person

Pope Siricius

d. 399 · 4th century · Also known as Siricius

Siricius was bishop of Rome from 384 to 399. His letter of 385 to Bishop Himerius of Tarraco, answering questions on baptism, penance and clerical discipline, is the oldest surviving papal decretal, a ruling with the force of law. His rulings also required the higher clergy to live in continence.

Pope Siricius
Image: Master of the Altarpiece of Santa Auta · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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Hispania TarraconensisImpact

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Pope Siricius. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-siricius
MLA
“Pope Siricius.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-siricius. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Pope Siricius.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-siricius.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Pope Siricius’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-siricius (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻