(A.D. 381.)
[Commemorated by Greeks and Romans on the same day. But Maurolycus,
by mistake, inserts him along with S. Meletius, B. of Pontus, on
Dec. 4th. Authorities:--Sozomen, Socrates, Theodoret, and the
oration of S. John Chrysostom in his honour.]
The history of this noble Confessor is a sad one, for it opens up to
us a picture of the dissensions which tore the Church in the 4th
century. It will be remembered that the Church was at that period
suffering from the prevalence of Arianism, which denied the Eternal
Godhead of the Son. Favoured by the Court, Arianism had penetrated
into the Church on all sides; many of the bishops were Arian, others
were semi-Arian, unwilling to pronounce decidedly against the Godhead
of Christ, and unwilling also to declare that great doctrine to be the
Truth. The election of the bishops being in the hands of the people,
if among the laity and clergy low views of Christ's nature prevailed,
an Arian was chosen to be their bishop. It was none the better when
the emperors interfered to nominate, for they would expel an orthodox
prelate and substitute for him one who was an Arian. And it must be
remembered that Arians were at that time mixed up with Catholics, as
parties in the Church, and did not at first stand to one another in
the position of separate and antagonistic communions. By the
predominance of the votes of Arians, Meletius was elected and
consecrated bishop of Beroea, and was afterwards by the same
influence translated to the See of Sebaste.[37] He was present at the
council of Seleucia (359), where he sided with the shifty semi-Arian
Acacius of Cæsarea. But his eyes seem to have opened to the truth, and
that gentle and peace-loving disposition which made him at first
willing to soften differences was braced up by the imminence of the
danger to true religion, to take a bold step. A council, assembled at
Antioch in 361, placed Meletius in the see. This excellent man had a
persuasive eloquence and a disposition which endeared him both to
Catholics and Arians. A rumour began to spread that he was positively
Catholic. After some sermons of a general character, he was desired to
take part in a series of expositions of the great controverted text,
Prov. viii. 22. After George, bishop of Laodicea, had given a strongly
Arian address, and Acacius, bishop of Cæsarea, had read a paper which
seemed to aim at a safe ambiguity, Meletius rose, and asserted, in
unequivocal language, the essential doctrine of Nicæa. The church rang
with cries of applause and wrath, proceeding from Catholics and
Arians. The Arian archdeacon stopped the new patriarch's mouth with
his hand. Meletius held out three fingers, then one; and when his lips
were freed by the archdeacon's seizing his hands, he repeated aloud
his former words, and exhorted the people to cling to the Nicene
faith. This could not be borne; the council, at another session,
deposed Meletius; the Emperor Constantius drove him into exile;
Euzoius, an old comrade of Arius, was made bishop of Antioch; and a
new creed was published which affirmed that the Son was in nowise like
to the Father, and was made out of what once was not. This led to a
separation between the Catholics and the Arians. The latter were put
in possession of all the churches, by imperial authority.
Unfortunately, the Catholics were divided. Many held with the orthodox
banished patriarch, Meletius, but some of the more obstinate refused
to acknowledge him, and to communicate with those who did, because he
had been ordained through Arian influence at Sebaste. On the accession
of the Emperor Julian the Apostate, Lucifer, bishop of Cagliari, and
Eusebius of Vercelli resolved to do what was possible to allay the
miserable schisms which devastated the East and Egypt. Accordingly a
council was summoned at Alexandria, to which Eusebius betook himself,
but Lucifer, sending a representative to the council, hasted to
Antioch, where, with that unfortunate precipitancy which characterised
all his actions, he ordained one Paulinus to the Patriarchate, a man
belonging to the extreme orthodox side, without waiting the return of
Meletius, who had been recalled from banishment. As soon as the
council of Alexandria had reinstated S. Athanasius, Eusebius of
Vercelli arrived at Antioch, and found that the visit of Lucifer of
Cagliari had made matters worse instead of healing divisions. There
were now three Patriarchs of Antioch: one, Euzoius, the Arian, in
possession of all the churches except one, which, out of personal
friendship for Paulinus he had ceded to him; another, Meletius, the
banished and now recalled patriarch, against whose orthodoxy no breath
of doubt was raised; and Paulinus, acknowledged by the Roman pontiff,
at the head of a small party who rejected Meletius, because he had
once been mixed up with Arians. Eusebius regretted what had been done,
but his respect for Lucifer, says Socrates, induced him to be silent
about it, and, on his departure, he engaged that all things should be
set right by a council of bishops. Subsequently, he laboured with
great earnestness to unite the dissentients, but without effect.
Shortly after the departure of Eusebius, Meletius arrived in Antioch,
and was obliged to assemble the faithful who clung to him outside the
walls of the city. This was in 362. On June 26th, 363, Julian died,
and his successor, Jovian, was a Catholic. Instantly the party of
Acacius held a conclave, and agreed to become orthodox, conforming to
the Catholic creed, showing very plainly, says Socrates, that their
great object was to be in agreement with the imperial mind. Acacius
had a meeting with Meletius, and joined his party.
The Emperor Jovian was succeeded by Valens in the East, in 364, and
Meletius was again driven into exile, for the cruel tyrant was an
Arian. As he was being taken out of the city in the chariot of the
governor, the mob, exasperated at losing their beloved prelate, would
have stoned the chief magistrate, had not Meletius screened him with
his mantle. He was banished into Armenia, and during his absence, the
Catholics were left without pastors through the severity of the
imperial orders. Valens fell before the Goths, in the great battle of
Hadrianople, in 378, and was succeeded by Gratian, who recalled the
bishops that had been banished, and ordered "that the churches should
be given up to those who held communion with Damasus, bishop of
Rome."[38] Paulinus promised to communicate on the subject with
Damasus. "Meletius, the mildest of men," continues Theodoret,
"addressed Paulinus in a kind and affectionate manner: 'As God,' said
he, 'committed to me the care of this flock, and as you have received
the charge of another, and as our respective sheep hold the same
doctrines, let us, O friend, unite our flocks. Let us throw aside all
contests for superiority, and tend with equal assiduity the sheep
entrusted to us. If the episcopal chair of this city be to us a matter
of contention, let us place the holy gospel upon it, and let us seat
ourselves on each side of it. If I die first, thou, O friend, wilt
become the only ruler of the flock; but if your death occur before
mine, I will, as far as I am able, tend the flock alone.' Paulinus,
however, refused to comply with the offer so kindly and affectionately
made by Meletius. The general sent by Gratian to execute his orders,
after reflecting on what had been stated, gave up the churches to the
holy Meletius. Paulinus continued to rule those who had from the
beginning separated themselves from the rest of the flock."
S. Athanasius, S. Eusebius of Samosata, S. Gregory Nazianzen, S.
Gregory Nyssen, S. Basil the Great, S. Cyril of Jerusalem, S. Pelagius
of Laodicæa, S. Amphilochius of Iconium, and nearly the whole of the
East were in communion with Meletius, whereas Paulinus alone was
acknowledged by Pope Damasus of Rome, the whole of the West, and
Egypt. The Pope sent to him a synodal letter denouncing various
heresies which prevailed in the East. Meletius at once summoned a
council at Antioch, in 378, and accepted the synodal letter, though
addressed to his rival.
Two great saints arose from the rival parties: S. Jerome, who was
ordained priest by Paulinus, and S. John Chrysostom, who was the
disciple of Meletius, from whom he received deacon's orders.
The Emperor Theodosius resolved to assemble a council in order to
settle various affairs concerning the welfare of the Church, and to
crush the Macedonian heresy. The bishops, 150 in number, met at
Constantinople on May 2nd, 381, and Meletius was appointed to preside.
"When the whole assembly of bishops had been ushered into the palace,"
says Theodoret, "the emperor, without noticing the others, ran up
directly to the great Meletius, and embraced him kissed his eyes,
lips, breast, head, and the right hand which had crowned him, and
exhibited all those demonstrations of affection which would be shown
by a dutiful son on beholding a beloved father after a long
separation."[39] During the council, Meletius was attacked by an
illness which proved fatal. He exhorted the bishops to peaceful
courses, and died while the council was sitting. "Where now," asked S.
Gregory of Nyssa, in the funeral sermon, "is that sweet calm look,
that radiant smile, that kind hand which was wont to second the kind
voice?" His name, as S. Gregory observed, expressed the sweetness of
his character; and S. Chrysostom adds, that so dear had the gentle
patriarch become to the people of Antioch that they had engraved his
likeness on their rings, their cups, and the walls of their bed-rooms.
His funeral was magnificent; lights were borne before the embalmed
corpse, and psalms sung--this latter was "a practice quite contrary to
the usual Roman customs," curiously says Sozomen.[40] These honours
were repeated in all cities through which it passed, until it rested
beside the grave of S. Babylas, at Antioch.