Saint Titus

{{Short description|Greek saint}} {{Infobox saint |honorific_prefix = [[Saint]] |name = Titus |image = Fresco of Saint Titos.jpg |titles = Bishop and Companion of Paul |birth_date = 1st century |death_date = 96 or 107 |death_place = [[Gortyn]], [[Crete and Cyrenaica]], [[Roman Empire]] |venerated_in = [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] {{nowrap|[[Oriental Orthodox churches]]}} [[Roman Catholic Church]] [[Lutheranism]] [[Anglican Communion]] |canonized_date = [[Pre-congregation|Pre-Congregation]] |major_shrine = [[Heraklion]], [[Crete]] |feast_day = [[August 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)|August 25]] (Orthodoxy) [[January 26]] (Catholicism) Thursday after fifth Sunday after feast of the Holy Cross ([[Armenian Apostolic Church]])<ref>''Domar: the calendrical and liturgical cycle of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church'', Armenian Orthodox Theological Research Institute, 2002, p. 528.</ref> |patronage = [[Crete]] }}

'''Titus''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|aɪ|t|ə|s}} {{respell|TY|təs}}; {{langx|grc|Τίτος}}, ''Títos'') was an early Christian missionary and church leader, a companion and disciple of [[Paul the Apostle]], mentioned in several of the [[Pauline epistles]] including the [[Epistle to Titus]]. He is believed to be a [[Gentile]] converted to Christianity by Paul and, according to tradition, he was consecrated as Bishop of the Island of [[Crete]].<ref name="Smith, William 1975. Pp. 701">Smith, William. ''Smith's Bible Dictionary'' 11th printing, November 1975. New Jersey: Fleming H. Revel Company. pp. 701–02.</ref>

Titus brought a fundraising letter from Paul to [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]], to collect for the poor in Jerusalem. According to [[Jerome]], Titus was the [[amanuensis]] of this epistle ([[Second Epistle to the Corinthians|2 Corinthians]]).<ref>Jerome, Letter 120: "Therefore Titus served as an interpreter, as Saint Mark used to serve Saint Peter, with whom he wrote his Gospel..."</ref> Later, on Crete, Titus appointed [[presbyter]]s (elders) in every city and remained there into his old age, dying in [[Gortyna]].<ref name="Smith, William 1975. Pp. 701"/>

==Life== Titus was a Greek, who may have studied Greek philosophy and poetry in his early years.<ref name=cna>{{cite web |url = http://www.catholicnewsagency.com:80/saint.php?n=128 |title = "Timothy and Titus", Catholic News Agency, January 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428173145/http://www.catholicnewsagency.com:80/saint.php?n=128 |archive-date=28 April 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He seems to have been converted by Paul, whereupon he served as Paul's [[secretary]] and [[interpreter]]. In the year 48 or 49 CE, Titus accompanied Paul to the council held at Jerusalem, on the subject of the [[Moses|Mosaic]] rites.<ref name=butler>{{cite web| url = http://www.bartleby.com/210/1/041.html| title = Butler, Alban. ''The Lives of the Saints'', Vol. I, (1866)| date = 12 January 2023}}</ref>

In the fall of 55 or 56 CE, Paul, as he himself departed from [[Asia (Roman province)|Asia]], sent Titus from [[Ephesus]] to [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]], with full commission to remedy the fallout precipitated by Timothy's delivery of 1 Corinthians<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|16:10–11|NIV}}</ref> and Paul's "Painful Visit",<ref>{{Bibleverse|2 Corinthians|2:1|NIV}}</ref> particularly a significant personal offense and challenge to Paul's authority by one unnamed individual.<ref>{{Bibleverse|2 Corinthians|2:5–11|NIV}}</ref> During this journey, Titus served as the [[courier]] for what is commonly known as the "Severe Letter", a Pauline missive that has been [[Lost literary work|lost]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Titus |url=https://urhotheway.com/2020/08/25/st-titus/ |access-date=January 26, 2025 |website=Urho, The Way}}</ref> but is referred to in {{Bibleverse|2 Corinthians|7:8-9|NIV}}.

After success on this mission, Titus journeyed north and met Paul in [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Macedonia]]. There the apostle, overjoyed by Titus' success,<ref>{{Bibleverse|2 Corinthians|7:6–15|NIV}}</ref> wrote 2 Corinthians. Titus then returned to Corinth with a larger entourage, carrying 2 Corinthians with him. Paul joined Titus in Corinth later. From Corinth, Paul then sent Titus to organize the collections of [[alms]] for the Christians at Jerusalem. Titus was therefore a [[Troubleshooting|troubleshooter]], [[Peace makers|peacemaker]], [[ecclesiastical administrator]], and [[missionary]].

Early church tradition holds that Paul, after his release from his first imprisonment in Rome, stopped at the island of Crete to preach. Due to the needs of other churches, requiring his presence elsewhere, he ordained his disciple Titus as bishop of that island,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Titus|1:5|NIV}}</ref> and left him to finish the work he had started. [[John Chrysostom]] says that this is an indication of the esteem Paul held for Titus.<ref name=butler/>

Paul summoned Titus from Crete to join him at [[Nicopolis]] in [[Epirus]].<ref>{{Bibleverse|Titus|3:12|NIV}}</ref> Later, Titus traveled to [[Early centers of Christianity#Salona|Dalmatia]].<ref name=losservatore>{{cite web| url = http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/b16ChrstChrch26.HTM| title = Pope Benedict XVI. "Timothy and Titus", ''L'Osservatore Romano'', p. 11, December 27, 2006}}</ref> The [[New Testament]] does not record his death.

==Possible identification with Timothy== [[File:Спас на крови 110.jpg|thumb|left|Titus and Timothy as separate individuals, in a mosaic in the [[Church of the Savior on Blood]]]] It has been argued that the name "Titus" in 2 Corinthians and Galatians was an informal name used by Timothy, a view circumstantially supported by the fact that both are said to be long-term close companions of Paul, even though they never appear together in these books.<ref>Fellows, Richard G. "Was Titus Timothy?" ''Journal for the Study of the New Testament'' '''81''' (2001):33–58.</ref> The theory proposes that a number of passages ([[1 Corinthians 4]]:17, 16.10; [[2 Corinthians 2]]:13, 7:6, 13–14, 12:18; and [[Acts 19]].22) refer to the same journey of a single individual, variously called Titus and Timothy. In support of this position, some draw on the fourth-century commentaries of [[Gaius Marius Victorinus]].<ref>Cooper, Stephen. ''Marius Victorinus' Commentary on Galatians''. Oxford University Press, 2005.</ref>

==Veneration== Titus was venerated as a saint earlier than 261 CE.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/archaeologists-uncover-earliest-known-evidence-christianity-north-alps-unusual-time]</ref> The feast day of Titus was not included in the [[Tridentine calendar]]. When added in 1854, it was assigned to 6 February.<ref>''Calendarium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 86</ref> In 1969, the [[Catholic Church]] assigned the feast to [[January 26|26 January]] so as to celebrate the two disciples of Paul, Titus and Timothy, the day after the feast of the [[Conversion of St. Paul]].<ref>''Calendarium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 116</ref> The [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] celebrates these two, together with [[Silas]], on the [[January 26|same date]] while he is honored on the calendars of the [[Calendar of saints (Church of England)|Church of England]] and [[Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church)|Episcopal Church]] (with [[Saint Timothy|Timothy]]) on [[January 26|26 January]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Calendar|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/calendar|access-date=2021-03-27|website=The Church of England}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Titus and Timothy, Companions of Saint Paul |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/titus-and-timothy/ |access-date=2022-07-19 |website=The Episcopal Church }}</ref>

The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] commemorates Titus on 25 August and on [[Seventy disciples|4 January]]. His relics, now consisting of only his [[skull]], are venerated in the Church of St. Titus, [[Heraklion]], Crete, to which it was returned in 1966<ref name="The Orthodox Messenger, v. 8(7/8), July/Aug 1997">{{cite web| url = http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/titus.htm| title = The Orthodox Messenger, v. 8(7/8), July/Aug 1997}}</ref> after being removed to [[Venice]] during the period of [[Ottoman Crete]] (1667–1898).

Titus is the patron saint of the [[United States Army Chaplain Corps]]. The Corps has established the Order of Titus Award, described by the Department of Defense:

{{Blockquote|text=Order of Titus award is the only award presented by the Chief of Chaplains to recognize outstanding performance of ministry by chaplains and chaplain assistants. The Order of Titus is awarded for meritorious contributions to the unique and highly visible Unit Ministry Team Observer Controller Program. The award recognizes the great importance of realistic, doctrinally guided combat ministry training in ensuring the delivery of prevailing religious support to the American Soldier.<ref>{{cite web| title =Titus Award | date = 11 January 2011| url = https://www.army.mil/article/50256}} Retrieved 18 June 2017.</ref>}}

== See also == {{Portal|Christianity}} *[[Epistle of Pseudo-Titus]] {{Clear}}

== References == {{Wikiquote}} {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Titus, Saint}} [[Category:Saint Titus| ]] [[Category:1st-century births]] [[Category:107 deaths]] [[Category:1st-century bishops in the Roman Empire]] [[Category:1st-century Greek people]] [[Category:Seventy disciples]] [[Category:People in the Pauline epistles]] [[Category:Christian saints from the New Testament]] [[Category:Saints of Roman Crete]] [[Category:Anglican saints]] [[Category:Amanuenses]] [[Category:Private secretaries]] [[Category:Interpreters]]