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Marcus, Pope

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one of the early bishops of Rome, succeeded Sylvester Jan. 18, 336; but little is known either of his life or administration. Anastasius states that by him the bishop of Ostia was first appointed to ordain the bishop of Rome. He died October 7 of the same year in which he had been chosen and was buried in the cemetery of Balbina, which was thenceforth called after his name. "His body," says Bower, "has since been worshipped in the church of St. Lawrence at Florence, though no mention has been made by any writer of its having been translated thither." Novaes relates that Marcus bore the title of cardinal before his election, and that with him originated this dignitary of the Church of Rome. He is also by some writers believed to have been the first pontiff to order the reading of the Nicene confession of faith, after the Gospels, in the celebration of mass. See Bower, History of the Popes, 1:114; Shepherd, Hist. of the Church of Rome to Damasus (A.D. 384), p. 77.