The information about the presbyters and deacons accompanying the pope may refer to the sixth century. The passages of the Liber Pontificalis referring to the middle of the third century give us an interesting vision of the governing of the church of Rome during the episcopal vacancies caused by the persecutions: Lucius appoints as his vice the archdeacon Stephen, who was anyway elected pope after Lucius' death, but the presbyters ran the church after the death of Syxtus II [438].