Raymond David has written:

'The Lives of the Eighth-Century Popes (Liber Pontificalis): The Ancient Biographies of Nine Popes from AD 715 to AD 817 (Translated Texts for Historians, Volume 13.)'

According to the Liber Pontificalis, Linus was an Italian from Tuscany (though his name is Greek) and born in Volterra, and his father's name was Herculanus. The Apostolic Constitutions names his mother as Claudia (immediately after the name "Linus" in 2 Timothy 4:21 a Claudia is mentioned, but the Apostolic Constitutions does not explicitly identify that Claudia as Linus's mother). The Liber Pontificalis also says that he issued a decree that women should cover their heads in church, created the first fifteen bishops, and that he died a martyr and was buried on the Vatican Hill next to Peter. It gives the date of his death as 23 September, the date on which his feast is still celebrated. His name is included in the Roman Canon of the Mass.

According to Liber Pontificalis, three popes- Pope St Victor I (ca186-198), Pope St Miltiades (311-14), and Pope St Gelasius (492-496)-were Africans. All were from North Africa so probably were not black but brown-skinned.

According to Liber Pontificalis, three popes- Pope St Victor I (ca186-198), Pope St Miltiades (311-14), and Pope St Gelasius (492-496)-were Africans. All were from North Africa so probably were not black but brown-skinned.

Rodney Liber's birth name is Rodney Marvin Liber.