Written by Guide Catholic
Pope St. Siricius (38º): Biography, Pontificate & Legacy
Pontificate: 17 December 384 –26 November 399 · Origin: Rome, Italy, Roman Empire · Birth name: Siricius
St. Siricius was the 38th pope of the Catholic Church, reigning 17 December 384 –26 November 399 during the apostolic and patristic Church. Feast day 26 November. The Catholic Church venerates him as a saint.
Who Was Pope Siricius?
St. Siricius holds the 38º place among Roman pontiffs, with a recorded reign of 17 December 384 –26 November 399 inside the apostolic and patristic Church. Feast day 26 November. What follows is a structured biography — early life, context, acts, and succession — written for Catholics who want Siricius in context. Catholics also honor him as a saint whose intercession remains part of living devotion.
Early Life & Background
Born circa 334 Rome, Italy, Roman Empire, he entered a world shaped by politics and piety very different from today's global Church.
Historical Context
Siricius (#undefined) shepherded Christians when the faith was still illegal or barely tolerated inside the Roman Empire; records are thin, yet tradition preserves these earliest successors of St. Peter.
Pontificate & Key Events
The pontificate (17 December 384 –26 November 399) centered on governance during the apostolic and patristic Church. Feast day 26 November. His famous letters—the earliest surviving texts of papal decretals—were focused particularly on religious discipline and include decisions on baptism, consecration, ordination, penance, and continence. Siricius's important decretal of 386 (written to Bishop Himerius of Tarragona), commanding celibacy for priests, was the first decree on this subject.
Papal Acts & Achievements
Acts associated with Siricius (#38, 17 December 384 –26 November 399) still draw historians and Catholics who want more than a one-line summary. His reign remains a link in the succession now counted at 267 popes.
Key Highlights
- 38th pope of the Catholic Church
- Pontificate: 17 December 384 –26 November 399
- Venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church
- Feast day 26 November.
Legacy in the Catholic Church
St. Siricius remains pope 38º in the Annuario Pontificio. The Church still points to Siricius's virtues for imitation. Set against the apostolic and patristic Church, Siricius's choices show both the limits of any one pontiff and the continuity of the office he held.
Why Catholics Study This Pope Today
Place Siricius on your mental map: 38º successor of Peter, reigning 17 December 384 –26 November 399, formed by the apostolic and patristic Church. Because the Church venerates Siricius, you may seek his intercession and check his feast in the Martyrology or local calendar. Begin with this documented note: Feast day 26 November. Compare Siricius with the biographies of his predecessor and successor linked below to see reform, rupture, or quiet continuity.
Place in the Line of Succession
St. Siricius followed Pope St. Damasus I (37º, 1 October 366 –11 December 384) after a transition shaped by the politics and piety of their shared century. He was followed by Pope St. Anastasius I (39º, 27 November 399 –19 December 401), whose biography continues the chain on Guide Catholic. For the full chronological map, see our complete list of all 267 popes — then read neighboring biographies for contrast, not only continuity.