such as Ignatius of Antioch in the second century, who reported that the Roman Church exercised a "presidency in love" among the Christian churches, and Irenaeus, who at the same time, emphasized the unique position of the pope. Catholic historians maintain that "History bears full testimony that from its earliest times, the Roman See never claimed supreme headship and that this leadership was freely recognized by the Universal Church." The prevailing view among historians is that the Church of Rome was recognized in the first three centuries of Christianity as having prominence in matters relating to the affairs of the Universal Church. However, this role developed and became deeply accentuated in the following centuries, especially from the fifth century and after the eleventh. This opinion is also shared by some Catholic scholars, such as the authors of the Catholic Encyclopedia, which states about the early papal primacy: Means of papal election The first record of the methods of an early papal election date to 236, regarding the choice of Pope Fabian, reported by Eusebius of Caesarea: A dove landed on Fabian's head and "then all the people as if impelled by a divine spirit, with a united and anxious voice cried out that he was worthy, and immediately placed him in the episcopal seat." This episode evidences that "the choice of bishop was a concern of the Christian public, of the whole community of Rome." More evidence is available during the schism between Novatian and Cornelius, in which St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, wrote: "Moreover, Cornelius was made bishop by the choice of God and Christ, by the favorable testimony of almost all the clergy, by the votes of the laity present, and by the assembly of the bishops." Early Papal Tombs Most of the early popes from the 2nd to 4th century were buried in the Roman Catacomb of Callixtus, on the Via Appia, which is said to have been founded by the future Pope Callixtus I while he was still a deacon of Rome under Pope Zeferinus, extending the pre-existing hypogeum. Greek language inscriptions discovered in the catacomb known as the Crypt of the Popes, indicate it to be the catacomb of Callixtus, Anicetus, Soter, Zeferinus, Urban I, Pontian, Anterus, Fabian, Lucius I, Sixtus II, Alexander I, Eutychian, and Miltiades. A long inscription made in the period of Pope Sixtus III (around 440) outside the catacomb, in the