Transcript Constantine the Great, Arius and Arianism and Nicea (325 ad)

The
GOLDEN AGE
of the
Catholic Church
CONSTANTINE THE GREAT, ARIUS, ARIANISM
AND
THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF NICAEA (325
AD)
CONSTANTINE EMPEROR
Constantine the Great (around aD 274-337)
Roman emperor (306-337),
He was the first Roman ruler to be converted to
Christianity.
He founded Constantinople (to-day Istanbul) as
a capital of the Roman Empire in 330, and it
remained the seat of the Byzantine (Eastern
Roman) Empire until 1453
son of the commander Constantius Chlorus
(later Constantius I) and Helena (Saint Helena)
Constantine is reported to have dreamed of an
apparition where Christ told him to inscribe the
holy sign ΧΡ (Greek), the first two letters of the
word ΧΡΙSΤΟS (Christos), on the shields of his
troops.
The next day he is said to have seen a cross
superimposed on the sun and the words “in
this sign you will be victorious” (usually given in
Latin, in hoc signo vinces – I H S).
Constantine then defeated Maxentius at the Battle
of the Milvian Bridge, near Rome.
The Senate considered Constantine saviour of the
Roman people.
He had been a pagan solar worshiper, now
regarded the Christian deity as a bringer of victory
The end of the Christian Persecutions and the coemperor, Licinius, joined him in issuing the famous
Edict of Milan (313ad), which meant toleration of
Christians and their religion in the Roman Empire.
As guardian of Constantine’s favoured religion,
the church was then given legal rights and large
financial donations. Paganism began vanishing...
A struggle for power soon began between
Licinius and Constantine
Constantine in 324 became a Christian
champion when he overcame Licinius
By the year 324 the Catholic Faith had become
the Religion of the Roman Empire
As soon as the Catholic Faith was fully
established, Arius’ teachings in the East began
giving a very hard time to bishops who had the
duty to pronounce orthodox doctrine...
Pope Sylvester I, elected Pope on January 31st
314. Died on December 31, in the year 335 AD,
He succeeded Pope Miltiades and his
successor was Pope Mark.
ARIUS (260-336 AD) AND ARIANISM
Famous preacher and known ascetic figure
 Dangerous teachings leading to heresy on
Jesus Christ
 Condemned
several times by bishops,
beginning with Alexander of Alexandria around
320 AD
 Travelling to Palestine he was welcomed by
some bishops there and so he took the
opportunity to preach his erroneous teachings
there
 Trouble in the Church now meant trouble in the
Roman Empire especially in the East

Bishop Ossius of Cordoba was sent by the
Emperor himself (324) to calm the waters and
get control of the situation – he did not
succeed
 Then, Constantine himself, most probably with
the approval of Pope Sylvester called the
Council at Nicaea in 325 AD, to tackle the
situation once and for all
 We are told that 318-320 bishops were present
with two delegates of the Pope himself
 The correct doctrine was badly needed

THE HERESY OF ARIUS IN HIS TEACHINGS
 In the Bl. Trinity only the Father is Eternal and
thus he is the only one to be called God
 The son is the first of all the creatures; there
was a time that he was not; he was created out
of nothing and he was an instrument in the
hands of the Father for the creation of the
world. He is not similar to the other creatures
because he existed before them
 If
the son is created he cannot be
immortal/eternal like the father
The son is an image of the Father, but an
imperfect one and not of the same substance
 The Holy Spirit is inferior to the Son as the son
is inferior to the Father (subordinationism)
 The son was incarnated in Jesus Christ and
here he lived in the soul


We can now understand why all the chaos was
present in the Eastern Church – the correct /
orthodox teaching of Faith regarding Jesus
Christ had to be expressed in the council...
THE COUNCIL OF NICEA – 325 AD
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The bishops condemned without any hesitation
and radically the teachings of Arius
Arius and another two bishops did not accept and
adhere to the Creed of Nicea so they immediately
received the Council’s condemnation and were
exiled
The Council’s Creed was clear: God from God,
We believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ the only Son
of God. God from God, Light from Light, true God
from true God. Begotten not made, of one being
with the Father.... (homoousios)