Saint Meletius the Great

Now, there was at that time a Catholic priest by the name of Meleti Mélèce Patriarch of Antioch and defender of the Nicene faith against Arianism. us, who was elected bishop of Antioch, that see which was later illustrated by Saint John Chrysostom. This city in particular had been infested by heresy. The Arians, hoping that Meletius would be one of their own, went to meet him, along with the Catholics, when he came to take possession of his episcopal see, and they showed no less joy and respect than the latter. After his death, Saint Gregory of Nyssa and Saint Chrysostom each delivered a panegyric that makes us well acquainted with this holy bishop and the purity of his faith.

Saint Meletius was from Melitene, a city in Lesser Armenia; coming from one of the most noble families of the country, he was learned and virtuous. He was first elected bishop of Sebaste, to succeed Eustathius, a semi-Arian, whom the Arians had deposed in a council held at Constantinople in 360. This election made by the Arians caused some doubt for a time regarding the purity of Meletius's faith. He tried to fulfill his duties as bishop, but his people were undisciplinable. He was forced to abandon them and live in solitude. He later retired to Beroea, in Syria. Since the exile of Saint Eustathius (331), the church of Antioch had been in the most deplorable state: it had had only intruders or Arians as bishops. After the deposition of Eudoxius, one of them, Meletius, was raised to the patriarchate of Antioch, where, as we have already said, he was received with the applause of both Catholics and Arians; for, on one hand, the Arians believed he was of their opinion, and, on the other hand, the Catholics knew that his faith was no less pure than his life was holy. This election was confirmed by the Emperor Co nstantius, who, up empereur Constance Roman emperor who exiled Eusebius for his opposition to Arianism. on returning from the Persian war, had come to Antioch, and a document was drawn up signed by both Catholics and Arians, which was placed in the hands of Eusebius, bishop of Samosa Eusèbe, évêque de Samosate Bishop of Samosata and martyr, defender of the orthodox faith against Arianism. ta, a holy prelate and generous defender of the truth.

As soon as he saw himself on the patriarchal throne (361), he felt obliged to strengthen the Orthodox in the true faith and to combat the errors of the heretics. To make the minds of one and all more capable of sound doctrine, as he was extremely eloquent, he began by preaching to them the reform of morals, showing them the beauty of virtue and the ugliness of vice. Everyone was impatient to know for whom he would declare himself regarding doctrine; it was soon known: the emperor ordered him, and several other bishops, to explain these words of Scripture, which the Arians abused to ruin the consubstantiality of the Son of God: "The Lord created me at the beginning of his ways!". People were even placed to write down word for word everything he would say. Then Meletius showed so clearly what the Catholic truth was, that everyone applauded him. But the archdeacon of his church, who was an Arian, having had the insolence to close his mouth with his hand, to prevent him from continuing to speak, he explained by signs what his tongue could no longer say; for, after having shown the people three fingers, he folded two of them, so that, with only one remaining, he made it known that there were three persons who, being equal, together made only one God.

This generous profession of faith was the cause of his exile, for the Arians, followers of Eudoxius, who had intruded upon the see of Constantinople after being deposed from that of Antioch, sought to pass Meletius off as a Sabellian, and so well persuaded the Emperor of this that he relegated him to Armenia; but they were forced to have him leave during the night, because of the great affection the people bore him: he had been patriarch for only a month. Eusebius, who held the act of this election, as has been said, withdrew to his bishopric; but Constantius, at the solicitation of the Arians, who feared that this act might prejudice them, sent a courier after him, with orders to threaten him with the cutting off of his right hand if he refused to surrender it. This generous prelate, having read the prince's letter, presented not only his right hand, but also his left, to be cut off, saying: "I will never surrender this document, which convicts the Arians of manifest malice."

Emperor Constantius having died of apoplexy (361), after having unfortunately abandoned the faith of the great Constantine, his father, Julian Julien l'Apostat Roman emperor and persecutor of Christians. the Apostate, who saw himself sole master of the empire, in order to better re-establish idolatry, permitted the exercise of all kinds of religions, and recalled all the bishops exiled by Constantius; Meletius therefore returned to Antioch, which he found full of divisions, even among the Catholics; for some, called Meletians, had remained faithful to Saint Meletius; but others did not want to adhere to his election, in which the Arians had participated. They continued the assemblies they had held since the death of Saint Eustathius; hence their name of Eustathians. They elected Paulinus as their bishop, who was consecrated by Lucifer of Cagliari. This schism lasted eighty-five years in the Church of Antioch. Meletius did not enjoy his recall for long. Julian, finding in him too strong an obstacle to the re-establishment of paganism, drove him a second time from his see, and sent him back into exile.

But, some time later, this apostate prince having been killed in the war against the Persians, all the soldiers turned their eyes toward Jovian, who was a Christian and a Catholic, protesting that they held the same belief in their hearts, and that the fear of Julian alone was the cause of their having made, in appearance, a profession of paganism. This pious emperor began his reign by making peace with the Persians, so as to think only of the advancement of the Christian religion. To this end, as soon as he returned, he had the temples of the false gods closed, forbade the worship of idols, and recalled the exiled bishops. Thus, Meletius was restored to his see (363). Jovian, who recognized the virtue of the holy Patriarch, held him in very high esteem and honored him as a distinguished defender of the faith. The Arians, of whom Acacius was the leader, were dismayed by this. Following the maxim of heretics, who regulate themselves according to the favor they enjoy with secular powers, they had recourse to hypocrisy; they subscribed, in a synod that Meletius held in Antioch, to a formula of faith that Saint Athanasius had given to the emperor, and thus feigned outwardly to embrace the doctrine of the Council of Nicaea concerning the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father.

Much could be hoped for from the zeal of such a pious emperor, when, eight months after ascending the throne, he was suffocated by the fumes of charcoal that had been lit in his room. This was a great loss for the Church, for Valentinian, having been raised to the empire in his place, associated with himself Valens, his brother, who was not a Catholic for long; his wife being Arian, he had himself baptized in Constantinople by the patriarch Eudoxus, who compelled him, by oath, to declare war on the Church. This prince persecuted it in a frightful manner, while he tolerated the detestable ceremonies of the pagans, the Jews, and all those who professed a doctrine contrary to that of the Gospel. Meanwhile, Saint Meletius watched over his people with admirable care, and continued to manifest the ardor of his zeal for the faith of the Council of Nicaea; and, as he saw the need the Church had for faithful ministers who could oppose the malice of the heretics, he applied himself to forming several: of this number was the illustrious Acacius, later bishop of a city in Syria; Diodorus, bishop of Tarsus; Flavian, patriarch of Antioch; Elpidius, bishop of Laodicea, and an infinity of holy anchorites. But it can be said that the most famous of all his disciples was the great C hrysostom, to who grand Chrysostome Patriarch of Constantinople whose support caused the exile of Anatolius. m he administered baptism, and for whom he had an extraordinary care from his tenderest years; it was he who discouraged him from the school of Libanius, where he learned only human eloquence, and withdrew him insensibly from the study of profane things to apply him to the study of the Holy Scripture.

Valens, who had come to Antioch (372), employed all sorts of artifices to engage such a great personage in his party, persuading himself that he would reduce, by this means, all the others. But having found Meletius inflexible, he sent him into exile for the third time. The people, unable to suffer this injustice, rose up in such a way that they would have stoned the officer who was taking him away in his chariot, had the Saint not placed himself before him and covered him with his mantle. Far from diminishing the constancy of the faithful, this persecution animated them more and more to suffer all sorts of insults for the confession of the faith of Jesus Christ, so much had the instructions of Meletius kindled in their hearts the fire of charity, and established in their minds the dogmas of the true faith. The holy anchorites who visited them often tried to maintain these divine flames until the return of the holy Pastor, which took place in 378, at the death of the persecutor. Valens, having been defeated near Adrianople, fled into a hut where divine justice permitted that he be burned by the Goths. Gratian, who succeeded him, published several edicts for the recall of the exiled bishops and for the re-establishment of the Catholic faith in the East. Upon returning to Antioch, Meletius, finding that the division among the Catholics continued more than ever, did what he could with the great Basil to appease it: he even offered to Paulinus to govern the church of Antioch together, on the condition that whichever of the two survived the other would govern both flocks alone. But Paulinus not having accepted this proposal, our Saint nonetheless continued to live with him in a spirit of union and charity. He applied himself entirely to feeding the sheep that were his with the doctrine, the word of God; and by the examples of his virtues, he acquired such esteem in the minds of his people that many gave his name to their children, believing that by this they would attract all sorts of blessings upon their families; his image was also engraved on rings, on vases, and on the walls of houses, to mark the respect they held for such an excellent man. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus has left us his portra it in a few words: "He was Saint Grégoire de Nazianze Doctor of the Church who delivered the eulogy for Leontius. ," he said, "a holy, religious, simple, sincere prelate, full of God, affable, generous, modest, and in whom one saw the character of the Holy Spirit shine."

Theodosi Théodose Roman emperor under whose reign the narrative begins. us, who, after the defeat of the Goths, had been associated with the empire by Gratian, wishing to pacify all the troubles of the churches, and particularly to end a great dispute that had arisen regarding Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, who had been transferred from the bishopric of Sasima to that of Con stantin concile Ecumenical council of 381 confirming the orthodox faith. ople, summoned a council in the latter city, and especially requested Meletius to be present. This pious emperor had a singular affection for him, because, some time before his accession to the empire, he had had a vision, in which he had seen in a dream this holy patriarch clothing him in the imperial purple and placing the crown upon his head; he received him with extraordinary testimonies of esteem and tenderness. Meletius, whom his holiness placed above all the other Fathers of the council, who numbered 150, was the first to show that the translation of Gregory was not at all contrary to the holy canons, because it had been done only for the greater good of the Church. His opinion was followed by that of the other prelates: Gregory was confirmed as bishop of Constantinople. Very shortly after this action, the blessed patriarch passed from this life to a better one, in the year 381, to the great regret of the whole city, and principally of Theodosius, who took care to have his body transferred to Antioch, where he was honorably buried near the tomb of Saint Basil. This pious emperor wished, against the custom of the Romans, that, along the way, he be brought into every city, and that he be received there with all possible magnificence.

The Acta Sanctorum of the Bollandists and the Greco-Muscovite calendar depict Saint Meletius the Great standing. We do not know if this figure bears any resemblance.

The Roman Martyrology and the Greek codex commemorate Saint Meletius on February 12. Saint John Chrysostom, in the eulogy he delivered in his honor, calls him a martyr; and all historians agree, and all speak of him with great veneration. As for us, we have drawn what we have said from the Remarks of Bollandus, on the 12th of this month.