Anacletus

About Anacletus

Anacletus (also called Cletus) was the third Bishop of Rome (Pope), serving from around 79-92 AD, between Linus and Clement. Early sources sometimes list Cletus and Anacletus as two different people, but they are now understood to be the same person. According to tradition, Anacletus was ordained by Peter himself and served during the persecution under Emperor Domitian. He was martyred and buried near Peter on Vatican Hill. Little is definitively known of his pontificate, but he represents the early papal succession linking Peter to later bishops of Rome.