Who he was
Liberius was a Roman deacon, elected in May 352. Like Julius before him he stood by St Athanasius and the faith of Nicaea at a time when the Emperor Constantius was pressing the bishops to accept a modified Arianism. When he refused to condemn Athanasius, the emperor banished him to Beroea in Thrace and had the archdeacon Felix put in his place.
What he is remembered for
He returned to Rome around 357, to a warm welcome from the people. Some writers of the time reported that he had given way under the strain of exile; whether he did, and what he signed, has been debated ever since and cannot be settled with certainty. In his later years he received back bishops who had erred at the Council of Rimini on condition of sincere repentance, and required the Nicene creed of those seeking communion.
Sources
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