Antipope Felix II

About Antipope Felix II

Felix was archdeacon of the Roman Church when Emperor Constantius II exiled Liberius in 355. Felix was installed in his place, creating a disputed succession while Liberius remained alive. He is conventionally known as Antipope Felix II.

The account preserved in the Collectio Avellana describes resistance to Felix and his departure when Liberius returned. It also records an unsuccessful attempt to regain a church in Rome. The narrative is hostile to Felix and his supporters; its accusations should be read as part of the conflict, rather than as a neutral assessment of his character.

Simonetti dates Felix's death to November 22, 365, following that historical account, and identifies the later story of his execution as fictional. The surviving sources do not justify presenting him as a documented martyr.

Later traditions portrayed Felix as a saint and confessor. Kirsch's 1909 account explains this development through confusion with a Roman martyr of the same name. The distinction matters for the calendar: the Vatican-hosted July 29 notice commemorates Felix, martyr, on the Via Portuensis, without identifying him as Felix II or a pope. A profile of the antipope can explain his historical veneration while keeping that other martyr's commemoration separate.