Difference between revisions of "Pope Miltiades" - New World Encyclopedia
(New page: {{Infobox Pope| English name=Saint Miltiades| image=150px| birth_name=Miltiades (or Melchiades)| term_start=2 July 311| term_end=10 January 314| predecessor=[[...) |
m |
||
| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
deathplace=[[Rome]], [[Italy]]|}} | deathplace=[[Rome]], [[Italy]]|}} | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | + | '''Pope Saint Miltiades''', also called '''Melchiades''' (Μελχιάδης ὁ Ἀφρικανός in Greek), was the [[bishop of Rome]] from July 2, 311 to January 10, 314. His papacy marked the end of the church's period of persecution under the Roman emperors. | |
| − | Miltiades | + | Miltiades appears to have been an [[African pope|African]] by birth, but of his personal history before becoming [[pope]], nothing is known. He was elected after a period of during which the Roman see had been vacant following the banishment of his predecessor, Pope Eusebius, to [[Sicily]]. |
| − | + | Miltiades became pope after a period of violent internal factionalism within the Roman church which had cause Emperor Maxentius to banish both Esebius and the leader of the opposition Christian party, Heraclius, in order to bring an end to public disorders that had spread throughout Rome over the question of admitting formal apostate Christians back into the church. In the interim, [[Roman emperor]] [[Galerius]] had passed an edict of toleration officially ending the persecution of Christians. | |
| − | + | During Maxentius' pontificate, the [[Edict of Milan]] was passed by the [[tetrarch]]s [[Constantine I (emperor)|Constantine]] and [[Licinius]] in 313, declaring that they would be neutral with regard to religious worship and would restore church property confiscated by the state during the recent persecutions. Constantine presented the pope with the [[Lateran Palace]], which became the papal residence and seat of Christian governance. | |
| − | In the | + | Miltiades soon presided over the first [[Lateran council|Lateran synod]] in Rome, at which Bishop [[Caecilianus|Caecilian]] of Carthage was acquitted of the charges brought against him for opposing the intentional seeking of martyrdom, and [[Donatus Magnus]], the founder of the rigorist sect later known as the [[Donatists]], was condemned as a [[Christian heresy|heretic]]. |
| + | |||
| + | Later tradition ascribes to Miltiades several church customs such as banning fasts on Thursdays. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Also he was once thought to have been a martyr, the Roman Catholic calender has corrected this mistaken tradition. He is now commemorated as a saint on January 10 | ||
| + | ==Biolgraphy== | ||
| + | The year of his birth is not known; he was elected pope in either 310 or 311; died 10 or 11 January, 314. After the banishment of Pope Eusebius, the Roman See was vacant for some time, probably because of the complications which has arisen on account of the apostates (lapsi), and which were not cleared up by the banishment of Eusebius and Heraclius. On 2 July, 310 or 311, Miltiadea (the name is also written Melchiades), a native of Africa, was elevated to the papacy. There is some uncertainty as to the exact year, as the "Liberian Catalogue of the Popes" (Duchesne, "Liber Pontificalis", I, 9) gives 2 July, 311, as the date of the consecration of the new pope (ex die VI non. iul. a cons. Maximiliano VIII solo, quod fuit mense septembri Volusiano et Rufino); but in contradiction to this the death of the pope is said to have occurred on 2 January, 314, and the duration of the pontificate is given as three years, six months and eight days; possibly owing to the mistake of a copyist, we ought to read "ann. II" instead of "ann. III"; and therefore the year of his elevation to the papacy was most probably 311. About this time (311 or 310), an edict of toleration signed by the Emperors Galerius, Licinius, and Constantine, put an end to the great persecution of the Christians, and they were permitted to live as such, and also to reconstruct their places of religious worship (Eusebius, Church History VIII.17; Lactantius, How the Persecutors Died 34). Only in those countries of the Orient which were under the sway of Maximinus Daia did the Christians continue to be persecuted. The emperor now gave Pope Miltiades in Rome the right to receive back, through the prefect of the city, all ecclesiastical buildings and possessions which had been confiscated during the persecutions. The two Roman deacons, Strato and Cassianus, were ordered by the pope to discuss this matter with the prefect, and to take over the church properties (Augustinus, "Breviculus collationis cum Donatistis", iii, 34); it thus became possible to reorganize thoroughly the ecclesiastical administration and the religious life of the Christians in Rome. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Miltiades caused the remains of his predecessor, Eusebius, to be brought back from Sicily to Rome, and had them interred in a crypt in the Catacombs of St. Callistus. In the following year the pope witnessed the final triumph of the Cross, through the defeat of Maxentius, and the entry into Rome of the Emperor Constantine (now converted to Christianity), after the victory at the Milvian Bridge (27 October, 312). Later the emperor presented the Roman Church with the Lateran Palace, which then became the residence of the pope, and consequently also the seat of the seat of the central administration of the Roman Church. The basilica which adjoined the palace or was afterwards built there became the principal church of Rome. In 313 the Donatists came to Constantine with a request to nominate bishops from Gaul as judges in the controversy of the African episcopate regarding the consecration in Carthage of the two bishops, Cæcilian and Majorinus. Constantine wrote about this to Miltiades, and also to Marcus, requesting the pope with three bishops from Gaul to give a hearing in Rome, to Cæcilian and his opponent, and to decide the case. On 2 October, 313, there assembled in the Lateran Palace, under the presidency of Miltiades, asynod of eighteen bishops from Gaul and Italy, which, after thoroughly considring the Donatist controversy for three days, decided in favor of Cæcilian, whose election and consecration as Bishop of Carthage was declared to be legitimate. In the biography of Miltiades, in the "Liber Pontificalis", it is stated that at the time Manichæans were found in Rome; this was quite possible as Manichæism began to be spread in the West in the fourth century. The same source attributes to this pope a decree which absolutely forbade the Christians to fast on Sundays or on Thursdays, "because these days were observed by the heathen as a holy fast". This reason is remarkable; it comes most likely from the author of the "Liber Pontificalis" who with this alleged decree traces back a Roman custom of his own time to an ordinance of Miltiades. The "Liber Pontificalis" is probably no less arbitrary in crediting this pope with a decree to the effect that the Oblation consecrated at the Solemn Mass of the pope (by which is meant the Eucharistic Bread) should be taken to the different churches in Rome. Such a custom actually existed in Rome (Duchesne, "Christian Worship," London, 1903, 185); but there is nothing definite to show that it was introduced byMiltiades, as the "Liber Pontificalis" asserts. | ||
| + | |||
| + | After his death, on 10 or 11 January (the Liberian Catalogue" give it as III id. jan.; the "Depositio Episcoporum" as IIII id. jan.), 314, Miltiades was laid to rest in the Catacomb of St. Callistus and he was venerated as a saint. De Rossi regards as highly probably his [this] location of this pope's burial-chamber (Roma Sotterranea, II, 188 sq.). His feast was celebrated in the fourth century, on 10 January, according to the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum". In the present "Roman Martyrology" it occurs on 10 December. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In the thirteenth century, the feast of Saint Melchiades was included, with the mistaken qualification of "martyr," in the [[Roman Catholic calendar of saints|Roman Calendar]] for celebration on 10 December. In 1969 it was removed from that calendar of obligatory liturgical celebrations,<ref>''Calendarium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969), p. 148.</ref> and his feast was moved to the day of his death, | ||
| + | ==Legacy== | ||
{{start}} | {{start}} | ||
| Line 41: | Line 47: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| + | ''Annuario Pontificio 2008'' Libreria Editrice Vaticana ISBN 9788820980214, p. 8*. | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 05:20, 18 January 2009
| Saint Miltiades | |
|---|---|
| |
| Birth name | Miltiades (or Melchiades) |
| Papacy began | 2 July 311 |
| Papacy ended | 10 January 314 |
| Predecessor | Eusebius |
| Successor | Sylvester I |
| Born | (date unknown) northern Africa |
| Died | 10 January 314 Rome, Italy |
Pope Saint Miltiades, also called Melchiades (Μελχιάδης ὁ Ἀφρικανός in Greek), was the bishop of Rome from July 2, 311 to January 10, 314. His papacy marked the end of the church's period of persecution under the Roman emperors.
Miltiades appears to have been an African by birth, but of his personal history before becoming pope, nothing is known. He was elected after a period of during which the Roman see had been vacant following the banishment of his predecessor, Pope Eusebius, to Sicily.
Miltiades became pope after a period of violent internal factionalism within the Roman church which had cause Emperor Maxentius to banish both Esebius and the leader of the opposition Christian party, Heraclius, in order to bring an end to public disorders that had spread throughout Rome over the question of admitting formal apostate Christians back into the church. In the interim, Roman emperor Galerius had passed an edict of toleration officially ending the persecution of Christians.
During Maxentius' pontificate, the Edict of Milan was passed by the tetrarchs Constantine and Licinius in 313, declaring that they would be neutral with regard to religious worship and would restore church property confiscated by the state during the recent persecutions. Constantine presented the pope with the Lateran Palace, which became the papal residence and seat of Christian governance.
Miltiades soon presided over the first Lateran synod in Rome, at which Bishop Caecilian of Carthage was acquitted of the charges brought against him for opposing the intentional seeking of martyrdom, and Donatus Magnus, the founder of the rigorist sect later known as the Donatists, was condemned as a heretic.
Later tradition ascribes to Miltiades several church customs such as banning fasts on Thursdays.
Also he was once thought to have been a martyr, the Roman Catholic calender has corrected this mistaken tradition. He is now commemorated as a saint on January 10
Biolgraphy
The year of his birth is not known; he was elected pope in either 310 or 311; died 10 or 11 January, 314. After the banishment of Pope Eusebius, the Roman See was vacant for some time, probably because of the complications which has arisen on account of the apostates (lapsi), and which were not cleared up by the banishment of Eusebius and Heraclius. On 2 July, 310 or 311, Miltiadea (the name is also written Melchiades), a native of Africa, was elevated to the papacy. There is some uncertainty as to the exact year, as the "Liberian Catalogue of the Popes" (Duchesne, "Liber Pontificalis", I, 9) gives 2 July, 311, as the date of the consecration of the new pope (ex die VI non. iul. a cons. Maximiliano VIII solo, quod fuit mense septembri Volusiano et Rufino); but in contradiction to this the death of the pope is said to have occurred on 2 January, 314, and the duration of the pontificate is given as three years, six months and eight days; possibly owing to the mistake of a copyist, we ought to read "ann. II" instead of "ann. III"; and therefore the year of his elevation to the papacy was most probably 311. About this time (311 or 310), an edict of toleration signed by the Emperors Galerius, Licinius, and Constantine, put an end to the great persecution of the Christians, and they were permitted to live as such, and also to reconstruct their places of religious worship (Eusebius, Church History VIII.17; Lactantius, How the Persecutors Died 34). Only in those countries of the Orient which were under the sway of Maximinus Daia did the Christians continue to be persecuted. The emperor now gave Pope Miltiades in Rome the right to receive back, through the prefect of the city, all ecclesiastical buildings and possessions which had been confiscated during the persecutions. The two Roman deacons, Strato and Cassianus, were ordered by the pope to discuss this matter with the prefect, and to take over the church properties (Augustinus, "Breviculus collationis cum Donatistis", iii, 34); it thus became possible to reorganize thoroughly the ecclesiastical administration and the religious life of the Christians in Rome.
Miltiades caused the remains of his predecessor, Eusebius, to be brought back from Sicily to Rome, and had them interred in a crypt in the Catacombs of St. Callistus. In the following year the pope witnessed the final triumph of the Cross, through the defeat of Maxentius, and the entry into Rome of the Emperor Constantine (now converted to Christianity), after the victory at the Milvian Bridge (27 October, 312). Later the emperor presented the Roman Church with the Lateran Palace, which then became the residence of the pope, and consequently also the seat of the seat of the central administration of the Roman Church. The basilica which adjoined the palace or was afterwards built there became the principal church of Rome. In 313 the Donatists came to Constantine with a request to nominate bishops from Gaul as judges in the controversy of the African episcopate regarding the consecration in Carthage of the two bishops, Cæcilian and Majorinus. Constantine wrote about this to Miltiades, and also to Marcus, requesting the pope with three bishops from Gaul to give a hearing in Rome, to Cæcilian and his opponent, and to decide the case. On 2 October, 313, there assembled in the Lateran Palace, under the presidency of Miltiades, asynod of eighteen bishops from Gaul and Italy, which, after thoroughly considring the Donatist controversy for three days, decided in favor of Cæcilian, whose election and consecration as Bishop of Carthage was declared to be legitimate. In the biography of Miltiades, in the "Liber Pontificalis", it is stated that at the time Manichæans were found in Rome; this was quite possible as Manichæism began to be spread in the West in the fourth century. The same source attributes to this pope a decree which absolutely forbade the Christians to fast on Sundays or on Thursdays, "because these days were observed by the heathen as a holy fast". This reason is remarkable; it comes most likely from the author of the "Liber Pontificalis" who with this alleged decree traces back a Roman custom of his own time to an ordinance of Miltiades. The "Liber Pontificalis" is probably no less arbitrary in crediting this pope with a decree to the effect that the Oblation consecrated at the Solemn Mass of the pope (by which is meant the Eucharistic Bread) should be taken to the different churches in Rome. Such a custom actually existed in Rome (Duchesne, "Christian Worship," London, 1903, 185); but there is nothing definite to show that it was introduced byMiltiades, as the "Liber Pontificalis" asserts.
After his death, on 10 or 11 January (the Liberian Catalogue" give it as III id. jan.; the "Depositio Episcoporum" as IIII id. jan.), 314, Miltiades was laid to rest in the Catacomb of St. Callistus and he was venerated as a saint. De Rossi regards as highly probably his [this] location of this pope's burial-chamber (Roma Sotterranea, II, 188 sq.). His feast was celebrated in the fourth century, on 10 January, according to the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum". In the present "Roman Martyrology" it occurs on 10 December.
In the thirteenth century, the feast of Saint Melchiades was included, with the mistaken qualification of "martyr," in the Roman Calendar for celebration on 10 December. In 1969 it was removed from that calendar of obligatory liturgical celebrations,[1] and his feast was moved to the day of his death,
Legacy
| Roman Catholic Popes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Eusebius |
Bishop of Rome Pope 311–314 |
Succeeded by: Sylvester I |
Notes
- ↑ Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969), p. 148.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
Annuario Pontificio 2008 Libreria Editrice Vaticana ISBN 9788820980214, p. 8*.
External links
"Pope St. Miltiades" in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.- Historical "Gift of Constantine": Journal Article Concerning Miltiades and Constantine
- Opera Omnia
| ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
