The Bishops of Rome

“So the blessed apostles, having founded and built up the church, entrusted the service of the office of bishop to Linus. Paul mentions this Linus in his letters to Timothy. [a] Anencletus succeeded him, and after him, in the third place from the apostles, the office of bishop fell to Clement. He had seen the blessed apostles and been in their company, and he still had the apostles’ preaching ringing in his ears and their tradition before his eyes. Nor was he alone in this, for many were still left at that time who had been taught by the apostles. [b] In the time of this Clement, when no small faction arose among the brothers at Corinth, the church in Rome sent a most fitting letter to the Corinthians, bringing them together in peace, and renewing their faith and the tradition it had recently received from the apostles.” [c]

And a little further on he says: “Evaristus succeeded this Clement, and Alexander succeeded Evaristus. Then, sixth from the apostles, Xystus was appointed, and after him Telesphorus, who also bore glorious witness as a martyr; then Hyginus, then Pius, and after him Anicetus. Soter succeeded Anicetus, and now, in the twelfth place from the apostles, Eleutherus holds the lot of the office of bishop. [d] In the same order and with the same teaching, the tradition from the apostles in the church and the preaching of the truth have come down to us.” [e]