He knew the Pope was weak

He – a brilliant priest and a famous preacher – knew that the Pope was being manipulated by a scheming fellow in his entourage.

And then, the Pope died and the schemer was elected to be the new Pope.

This was a disaster and something had to be done.

The priest gathered around him those who still believed as he did in order to keep the true Church alive. Inevitably, he was elected as its head.

Some years later, he was deported and imprisoned. To his great surprise, he found himself with a fellow prisoner who was the successor of the Popes he had denounced.

To his greater surprise, he realized the error of his own ways and became reconciled to this legitimate Bishop of Rome. Thus the schism he had caused was ended.

Pope St. Pontian and anti-pope St. Hippolytus both died as martyrs and their memory is celebrated on this day.