A 1465 painting by Michael Pacher of Pope Sixtus II, who was was pontiff from AD257 to AD258, bidding farewell to St Lawrence of Rome. He was the 24th pope and is also known as Pope Xystus II. He was beheaded after only 340 days in ofice when Emperor Valerian launched a series of persecutions of Christians.

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Size: 3409px × 3508px
Photo credit: © CBW / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 2, catholic, catholicism, century, christianity, church, early, head, ii, laurence, lawrence, leader, leaders, pontiff, pontiffs, pope, popes, roman, rome, saint, sixtus, spiritual, st, xystus