Transcript Chapter 3: Persecution of “The Way”

Chapter 3:
Persecution of “The Way”
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Read aloud the section “Mad Caligula” (p. 98), and then discuss Emperor
Nero.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 What was the nature of the first Roman persecutions?
 What persecutions did Christians face under Domitian?
KEY IDEAS
 Emperor Nero launched a brutal persecution of Christians,
scapegoating them for the burning of Rome, for which he himself was
rumored to have been responsible.
 Emperor Domitian persecuted Christians, and Roman officials
permitted mobs to attack them.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
In the beginning, what did the Roman rulers consider the Christians to be?
They considered the Christians to be a small sect of schismatic Jews.
What actions show Nero’s evil character even before his persecution of the
Christians?
He murdered his mother; renounced and slandered his wife before having her
beheaded; and forced Seneca, the noble statesman, to commit suicide.
How is Emperor Nero depicted in his sculpture with Seneca (cf. p. 96)?
Nero is portrayed as a youth, strong physically, handsome, and dressed elegantly.
At the same time he is slouching in his throne and looking down arrogantly at
Seneca, his teacher.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Complete a Think/Pair/Share on the two paragraphs “Early on the
night…” and “The middle and lower…” (p. 96) using the following
question:
 Why was Rome, and ancient cities in general, particularly susceptible to fire?
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why is it thought that Nero had set the fire that destroyed much of
Rome?
Nero intended to seize private property in the center of Rome to build
himself a new palace. Nero was rumored to have set the fire to clear the
buildings.
Why did Nero blame the Christians of Rome for the fire?
Nero wanted to remove suspicion from himself. He arrested and tortured
several Christians, extracted forced confessions from them, and then
ordered a large number of Christians arrested.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTION
What did Nero do to Christians during the first persecution?
This first persecution, which took place in the City of Rome, was brutal.
Christians were sewn into animal skins so huge that hungry dogs would
devour them. He had hundreds of live Christians coated with pitch and
resin and burned as human torches to light his way as he passed through
his gardens and along the streets at night.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to complete the following table about the Jewish and
Roman persecutions of Christians.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Describe Caligula’s family life.
Caligula’s mother and brothers were butchered when he was a teenager.
He committed incest with three of his sisters.
How could Caligula be described as sadistic?
Caligula sexually abused men, women, children, and babies. He delighted
in watching torture and executions.
What was Caligula’s fate?
Caligula was murdered by two of his guards, who then killed the rest of
his family.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What was Nero’s principle for dealing with Christians?
Nero’s principle was Christiani non sunt: Let the Christians be
exterminated.
How is it known that Nero persecuted Christians?
It was reported by the Roman historian Tacitus and the Church historian
Eusebius.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTION
What was Nero’s fate?
The aristocracy in Rome was alienated by Nero’s murders of his mother
and wife. After revolts against Roman rule broke out in Judea, Gaul,
Africa, and Spain, the army turned against Nero, and he committed
suicide.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why was it a good idea for dictators like Domitian to make friends
with the army?
In a dictatorship, the armed forces have the ultimate power over life and
death. He who controls the army controls the nation.
What is the significance of the title Dominus et Deus with respect
to Emperor Domitian?
“Lord and God” indicates Domitian considered himself—or wanted
others to consider him—a god.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTION
Why did Domitian see the spread of Christianity as a problem, and
what steps did he take to stop it?
Christianity was spreading from the lower classes to the aristocracy,
Domitian’s own class. He murdered his cousin, an office-holding
Christian, and levied a special tax on Christians and Jews to pay for a
pagan temple.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What does vox populi mean?
“The voice of the people” during the time of the early Church often
meant ignorant, mob actions, especially those taken against Christians.
What was the result of the power of the vox populi?
Mobs looted and destroyed Christian churches, cemeteries, and homes.
Civil authorities tortured and killed Christians to provide an outlet for the
people’s anger.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
FOCUS QUESTION
Of what were Christians accused by the common people?
Because Christians would not sacrifice to the pagan gods, common people
accused Christians of being irreligious and atheistic. All kinds of wild
practices were attributed to Christians including the sacrifice of babies,
drinking their blood, and casting evil spells. Christians also became
scapegoats for natural calamities such as floods and famines.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
CLOSURE
Free write for five minutes about why Nero persecuted Christians.
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT




Study Questions 1–3 (p. 125)
Practical Exercise 1 (p. 125)
Workbook Questions 1–21
Read “The Five Good Emperors” through “Ad Metalla” (pp. 101–107)
1. The First Roman Persecutions (pp. 94–100)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Use the completed Graphic Organizer on page 97 to write a paragraph
comparing the first Jewish and Roman persecutions of Christians.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Analyze the mosaic on page 100, and then discuss the following
questions:
 What does the mosaic depict?
 What does this mosaic reveal about the character of the Roman people?
 Is the depiction in this mosaic similar to anything in contemporary culture?
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
BASIC QUESTION
 How did the persecutions of the Christians develop after Domitian?
KEY IDEA
 Trajan’s Rescript declared it a capital crime to profess Christianity.
Hadrian’s Rescript advised that Christians should not be prosecuted
solely for professing Christ, which was reversed under Marcus Aurelius.
St. Justin Martyr defended Christianity to the Roman senate and
emperor.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why were the Five Good Emperors called “good”?
The five emperors following Domitian were good because they were
skillful leaders of the empire. They were relatively stable persons who
secured the empire’s borders.
Were the Five Good Emperors good for Christians?
The first four were more moderate toward Christians than Domitian had
been, but they still persecuted them. Extension: Hadrian eradicated the
Jews in the Holy Land.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTION
Why was Trajan a successful emperor from the Roman point of
view?
Trajan treated abandoned children and the poor humanely, achieved
military glory for himself and Rome, undertook many public works
projects, extended the territory of the empire, and ruled nearly twenty
years.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to complete the following table about the content of
Trajan’s Rescript.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What was the origin of Trajan’s Rescript (AD 112)?
Pliny the Younger, one of Trajan’s governors, asked his advice concerning
the persecution and punishment of Christians. Trajan’s Rescript is his
reply.
What did Pliny’s letter reveal about the spread of Christianity?
By his time Christians existed across all strata of society and lived in rural
areas as well as urban centers.
What choices did denounced Christians have?
They could have renounced the Faith or have been sentenced to death.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why was St. Ignatius of Antioch an important writer?
His direct contact with the Apostles Sts. Peter and John give his writings
special authority.
Who persecuted St. Ignatius of Antioch, and why?
He was arrested under Emperor Trajan for being the Bishop of Antioch.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTION
Why did St. Ignatius of Antioch ask Christians not to intervene with
the pagan officials when he was on his way to Rome?
St. Ignatius was afraid the Christians of Rome might persuade the pagan
officials to spare his life. He wanted to be God’s wheat, ground by the
teeth of wild beasts, so he could be Christ’s pure bread.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Review the concept of bread and circuses (cf. p. 15). Perform a Focused
Reading of the sidebar “The Coliseum” (p. 103) using the following two
questions:
 Is it moral to attend entertainments like the ones described?
 Are there legal forms of entertainment today that followers of Christ ought to
avoid?
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How does Hadrian’s reign reveal the Pax Romana did not manifest
peace for everyone?
The Jews were decimated in the Holy Land and were banned from
entering Jerusalem.
How did the plight of Christians improve somewhat after Hadrian’s
Rescript?
Hadrian ruled that mobs should not be able to take the law in their own
hands to murder Christians and that Christians should only be prosecuted
for actual violations of the common law instead of solely for being
Christian.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTION
Why did Hadrian’s ban on circumcision and his plan to turn
Jerusalem into a Roman colony infuriate the Jews?
Circumcision is essential to the identity of Jews, the sign of the covenant
between God and Abraham. Jerusalem had been the Jews’ most
important city for a millennium; they had hoped to rebuild the Temple
there so they could again offer ritual sacrifice. Extension: Hadrian could
not have attacked the Jews more personally than this.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Under whose peaceful reign was St. Polycarp martyred?
He was martyred under Emperor Antoninus Pius.
What was the nature of St. Polycarp’s writings?
He defended orthodox Catholic beliefs against several early heresies.
What merciful offer did the governor of Smyrna make to St.
Polycarp?
If St. Polycarp would have cursed Christ publicly, his life would have been
spared.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Search the Internet for the entire Martyrium Polycarpi (“The Martyrdom of
Polycarp”), and then read it.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Of what philosophy was Emperor Marcus Aurelius an adherent?
He was a Stoic, which encourages a person to live free of passion and be
unmoved by joy or grief, submitting fully to fate.
What practice did Marcus Aurelius reinstate that made things worse
for Christians?
He reinstituted anonymous denunciations of Christians.
Why did provincial governors tolerate mob attacks on Christians?
For Roman governors serving in unruly provinces, allowing mob attacks on
Christians was a way they could let people defuse their anger on something
other than the empire itself.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What did St. Justin Martyr have in common with Emperor Marcus
Aurelius?
Both loved philosophy, although St. Justin came to believe that the teachings
of Christ were far superior to philosophy alone.
To whom did St. Justin Martyr address his two defenses of the Faith?
He addressed them audaciously to the Roman emperor and the senate.
What did the judicial sentence Ad Metalla mean?
This dreaded punishment sent a prisoner “to the metal mines,” where the
prisoner endured brutal conditions and certain death.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to complete the following table on evidence for three
beliefs held by early Christians (cf. p. 123).
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
 Study Questions 4–8 (p. 125)
 Workbook Questions 22–43
 Read “Later Persecutions and the Edict of Milan” through
“Pope St. Sixtus II and Deacon St. Lawrence” (pp. 108–114)
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
CLOSURE
Free write for five minutes summarizing the persecutions experienced by
Christians in the period of time after Emperor Domitian through
Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
2. The Five Good Emperors (pp. 101–107)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Free write for five minutes on what was most surprising about this period
in the history of the Church.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Imagine you are the bishop of an Italian diocese AD 202 and have
received word Emperor Severus has outlawed circumcision and Baptism.
Write a brief letter to the Christians under your care, advising them how
to respond to this decree.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
BASIC QUESTION
 Why did the Roman government attack Christianity with such
vehemence?
KEY IDEA
 With the aim of reinvigorating the Roman Empire by reviving the
ancient pagan religion, Emperor Decius unleashed the first empirewide persecution of Christians AD 250, creating new martyrs as well as
lapsi. Decius was afraid of the Christians’ fidelity to Christ and his
Church.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What was the relationship between Sts. Perpetua and Felicity?
St. Perpetua was a wealthy noblewoman, and St. Felicity was one of her
slaves.
How did Sts. Perpetua and Felicity show their faith?
They had to endure entreaties from their families to abandon the Faith,
taunts from their jailers, the heartbreak of raising their children in jail,
scourging, attacks by wild animals, and finally the sword. The worst was
seeing their children slain.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTION
What decree of Emperor Septimus Severus threatened both
Christians and Jews?
His decree (AD 202) forbade both Baptism and circumcision.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Even though St. Irenæus was from Asia Minor, where did he serve as
bishop?
He served in Lyons in Gaul (modern-day France). Extension: This indicates
the catholic (universal) nature of the Church.
What key elements of the nature of the Church did St. Irenæus
emphasize to defend the Faith against Gnostic heretics?
He emphasized the episcopacy, Scripture, and Tradition.
What method did St. Irenæus use to combat heresy?
He described systematically the origin and history of each heresy, contrasting
its false claims against the true Faith.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Work with a partner to identify what St. Irenæus claimed that the early
Church held with respect to (1) Apostolic Succession, (2) the authority of
the Church hierarchy, and (3) Scripture and Tradition.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How did Decius attack Christians to a new degree?
Before his reign attacks on Christians were local, either limited to the city
of Rome or directed toward specific provinces. The Edict of Decius
(AD 250) was empire-wide.
Why did Decius order a return to the ancient religious practices?
He intended to reinvigorate the empire’s strength by unity.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTION
How numerous were Christians by AD 250, and why did Decius see
them as a threat?
About one-third of the empire was Christian. Decius assumed, because
Christians’ ultimate allegiance is to Christ and not the state, that they
might prove an obstacle to unify the empire. Extension: It may seem
strange to a modern student a ruler would be willing to kill as many as
one-third of his subjects, but similar events occurred in the twentieth
century. Pol Pot of Cambodia, Mao of China, Lenin and Stalin of the
Soviet Union, and many others killed large percentages of their
populations for political ends.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTION
Who were the sacrificanti, the thurificati and the libellatici?
These were Christians who had apostatized under Decius’s persecution.
The sacrificanti were those who made a sacrifice. The thurificati were those
who burned incense. The libellatici did not sacrifice but purchased
certificates of sacrifice.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What strategy did Decius employ to identify Christians?
Anyone who refused to offer a sacrifice would be sent into exile or put to
death and lose all of his or her property.
What double loss did the Church suffer because of Decius’s
persecution?
The Church lost both those faithful who became martyrs and those who
apostatized.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What is the difference between a heretic and an apostate?
A heretic denies one or more articles of the Faith after his or her Baptism. An
apostate denies the Faith altogether after his or her Baptism.
Who are the lapsi?
These are Christians whose faith had lapsed, that is, formally renounced the Faith
by offering sacrifices to pagan gods.
Into what error did Novatian fall regarding apostasy?
He taught that the lapsi could never be readmitted into the Church, which caused
the Novatianist schism. Extension: Essentially, Novatian denied God’s power to
forgive certain sins.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTION
Where was the first Catholic university founded?
What might be called the first Catholic university was the Catechetical
School in Alexandria, Egypt, in which instruction in Catholic doctrine was
combined with an investigation into the sciences and philosophy.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How was Origen distinguished?
Origen was a prolific writer and scholar who headed the Catechetical
School. He was faithful despite two years of imprisonment and torture.
He initiated the use of the homily.
How do Origen’s writings illustrate that individual theologians are
not infallible?
Despite being one the greatest theologians of the early Church, he held
erroneous positions on the relationship between God the Father and God
the Son and on the final salvation of the damned.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Think/Pair/Share using the following questions (cf. p. 114):
 According to St. Lawrence the deacon, what is the Church’s greatest treasure?
 Why might he have thought this?
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to complete the following table about
Valerian’s Rescripts.
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
CLOSURE
Free write for five minutes framing an answer to the Basic Question of
this lesson:
 Why did the Roman government attack Christianity with such vehemence?
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT




Study Questions 9–13 (p. 125)
Practical Exercise 2 (p. 125)
Workbook Questions 44–68
Read “Persecutions under Diocletian” through “Conclusion”
(pp. 114–122)
3. Later Persecutions Before Diocletian
(pp. 108–114)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Work with a partner to complete Practical Exercise 3 (p. 125) about the
Christian values most important to the early Christian martyrs.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Review the map “Diocletian’s Tetrarchy” (pp. 116–117), focusing on
geographic divisions.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 How were persecutions under Diocletian the worst that Christians had
suffered under Roman emperors?
 Why was the Edict of Milan (AD 313) issued, and what change did it
make in the lives of Christians?
KEY IDEAS
 Persecutions under Diocletian were the worst that Christians had endured
because they were the most widespread and inclusive; Christians
throughout the empire had either to renounce the Faith or to face death.
 Constantine attributed his victory at the Milvian Bridge to the
intervention of the Christian God. To stay in his good graces, he issued
the Edict of Milan, which gave the Christians freedom to worship.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How did Diocletian become emperor?
Diocletian was named emperor by the army after Numerian had been
murdered.
Why did the Church historian Eusebius praise Diocletian initially?
Diocletian left Christians alone initially, but this was only because he was
distracted by fighting the Persians and Germanic tribes.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTION
Why did Diocletian form the tetrarchy?
He thought that the empire was too large for one man to govern. He
divided the empire into four regions, ruled one himself, retained full
leadership over all, and appointed three co-emperors to administer the
other regions; this secured twenty years of peaceful prosperity.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why did Diocletian decide to eradicate Christianity?
Though he admired some of its adherents, he decided to eradicate
Christianity at the urging of two of his co-emperors, who argued it would be
good for the empire.
Why was Diocletian’s persecution the worst the early Christians had
suffered?
It was the most widespread and targeted all Christians, including in the
eastern half of the empire, which had not been targeted often.
What was the effect of Diocletian’s edicts?
Thousands of faithful Christians were martyred.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Complete the following table about the effects of Diocletian’s edicts on
Christians in the Roman Empire.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Work with a partner to complete the following table according to the map
“Diocletian’s Tetrarchy” (pp. 116–117).
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
When was St. Agnes martyred?
She was martyred about AD 304, when she was twelve or thirteen years
old.
Why was St. Agnes denounced as a Christian?
Because she was very beautiful, a number of young Roman men wanted
to marry her. However, she had consecrated herself a virgin, which
enraged them.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTION
What was the fate of St. Agnes?
She refused to renounce the Faith, even after torture by fire. The judge
sentenced her to prostitution, but when a young man approached her
thusly, he was blinded. Hearing of this, the judge had her beheaded.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Search the Internet to research the life of St. Maria Goretti. Write a
paragraph comparing Sts. Agnes and Maria Goretti.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
To what did Emperor Galerius attribute his leprosy?
He believed it was a divine punishment from the Christian God for persecuting
Christians.
How did Galerius improve the situation of Christians?
His Edict (AD 311), which was adopted all over the empire, gave Christians free
exercise of their religion as long as they obeyed the civil law and promised to
pray for the emperor and empire.
Do you think the early Christians objected to Galerius’s demands?
No; they had been praying for the emperor and the empire from the beginning.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What vision did Constantine have just before the Battle of Saxa Rubra?
He saw in the sky a cross with the inscription In hoc signo vinces (“In this sign
you will conquer”).
What action did Constantine take based on his vision?
He had his soldiers etch a cross on each shield.
What was Constantine’s attitude toward Christianity after his victory?
He declared the Christian God had favored him, so, to stay in his good
graces, he restored the property of the Church and aided the construction of
church buildings.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What was the effect of the Edict of Milan?
It restored all property taken from the Church by the empire and granted
Christians the right to worship in freedom. It legitimized the Church for
the first time since Nero’s decree had outlawed her AD 64.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What might have been the political motives for issuing the Edict of
Milan?
Constantine might have seen Christianity as a way to unify his empire.
What did Constantine do at the end of his life?
He was baptized (though by an Arian bishop) on his deathbed.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read silently the selection from “The Edict of Milan” (p. 123), and then
discuss the following questions:
 What rights were granted by the Edict of Milan?
 Why might the only religion named be Christianity?
 What is the significance of a reference to the Supreme Deity in this edict, issued by
an officially polytheistic state?
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTION
What role did St. Helen play to turn the Roman Empire toward
Christianity?
St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, converted to Christianity
in her sixties. When she was in her eighties, she traveled to the Holy Land
and believed she had found Mount Calvary, the Holy Sepulcher (tomb of
Christ), and the true Cross.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How did St. Helen determine which of the three crosses she had
found was the true one?
She had a sick woman touch each. When the woman touched the true
Cross, she was healed.
What is the Titulus Crucis?
Literally “title,” or “inscription, of the Cross,” it is an ancient piece of
walnut believed to be part of the sentence nailed to the Cross of Christ.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read an article explaining and defending the Catholic veneration of relics.
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
 Study Questions 14–18 (p. 125)
 Practical Exercises 3–4 (p. 125)
 Workbook Questions 69–88
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
CLOSURE
Free write for five minutes in response to the following question:
 How did the relationship between the Church and the Roman Empire change
between AD 300 and 313?
4. The Triumph of the Church (pp. 114–122)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Write a paragraph on the episcopacy and Tradition in the early Church.
THE END