Pope Sylvester I

Sylvester I († December 31 335 in Rome), whose feast is celebrated on the last day of the calendar year (see New Year's Eve ), in office from 314 until his death in 335 as Bishop of Rome ( Pope ).

New Year's Eve followed on 31 January by Pope Miltiades 314. His name was added to the church calendar 813. According to him, later canonized Marcus was Pope.

After an early medieval legend, New Year's Eve to the ailing Roman Emperor Constantine have healed and baptized by leprosy the Great. It documents the Donation of Constantine, a fake document whose origin is suspected in the 6th or 7th century. Was spread the legend in the medieval Legenda Aurea of Jacobus de Voragine. In gratitude for the healing should have received New Year's Eve of Constantinople called the Patrimony of St Peter, which formed the basis of the later Papal States as a gift. The allegations of the legend up to the scrutiny was not: Constantine had already 313 Christianity officially allowed in the Edict of Milan, which can pass the site of the present Lateran Palace Silvesters predecessor Miltiades and personally did not participate at the Council of Nicaea 325, at the New Year's Eve, but from represent two presbyters, let it enacted the first creed, the Nicene Creed. New Year's Eve was the one who had built over the grave of Peter in Rome, in the burial ground of the Vatican hill, the first church of St. Peter.

New Year's Eve died on 31 December 335 His body was interred in the Priscillakatakombe on the Via Salaria Nova in Rome. In the course of Langobardeneinfälle in the 8th century, he was transferred to the lying in Piazza San Silvestro Church of San Silvestro in Capite.

Veneration of saints

He is venerated as a saint and is the first holy pope who has not suffered martyrdom. His memory is celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Church and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on January 2, of the Russian Orthodox Church on 15 January and from the Roman Catholic day of his death, December 31. This day is therefore called New Year's Eve. His name means: the Waldmann (Latin, from silva 'forest' ).

New Year's Eve I. saint of pets as well as a good forage crop and a Happy New Year.