
The ordination of St. Hilary of Poitiers, tapestry, 14th century. Wikicommons.
Who can fail to see here the slimy windings of the serpent’s track: the coiled adder, with forces concentrated for the spring, concealing the deadly weapon of its poisonous fangs within its folds? … For their plan is first to impress with certain sound statements, and then to infuse the poison of their heresy.
By Kimberly Bruce
Saint Hilary of Poitiers, whose feast we celebrate on Jan. 13, was a fourth-century pagan-turned-Christian who courageously defended Christ’s divinity during a time when the Arian heresy denying Jesus’ divinity was pervasive. Referred to as the “Hammer of the Arians” and the “Athanasius of the West,” St. Hilary’s rich theological writings and personal holiness were reasons for his designation as Doctor of the Church by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1851.
In one of his most important books, On the Trinity, St. Hilary writes, “We have clearly fallen on the evil times prophesied by the Apostle [Paul]; for nowadays teachers are sought after who preach not God but a creature. And men are more zealous for what they themselves desire, than for what the sound faith teaches.”
Saint Hilary saw signs of the times in the Arianism being forced upon the Church by emperors and wayward bishops alike, citing St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths” (2 Tim 4:3-4).
The Church today faces many of the same challenges!
Noble and married
Born to a noble family c. 310 A.D. in Poitiers, France, St. Hilary was schooled in Greek philosophy and Holy Scripture. Recognizing truth in the Bible, he converted to Catholicism at age 35 and received Baptism. By this time, he was already married and had a daughter, both of whom he converted to the faith.
In 353, the citizens of Poitiers called for Hilary to be made their bishop — against his will. He was nevertheless ordained. Like many converts in his day who received ordination, St. Hilary may have practiced celibacy in his marriage after becoming bishop due to the responsibilities and sacrifices necessitated by religious life.
In 356, the Bishop of Arles, a practicing Arian, convened a council to establish Arian teaching in the western Church. Saint Hilary stood up for orthodox Christianity and was denounced by the Arians to Emperor Constantius, a protector of Arians. Constantius ordered all bishops of the West to condemn, in writing, St. Athanasius, a defender of the faith against Arianism in the East. Refusing to condemn the saint, St. Hilary was exiled by Constantius to the far coast of Phrygia (present-day Turkey).
Writing in exile
During his exile, St. Hilary composed his classic works On the Trinity, explaining the central Trinitarian mystery of the Christian faith, and On Synods, which defended Church teachings in a written history of the Church in the East. He also made use of his time to travel and inform the Constantinople bishops that Emperor Constantius was no friend of true Christianity.
He states in On the Trinity:
Who can fail to see here the slimy windings of the serpent’s track: the coiled adder, with forces concentrated for the spring, concealing the deadly weapon of its poisonous fangs within its folds? … For their plan is first to impress with certain sound statements, and then to infuse the poison of their heresy. They speak us fair, in order to work us secret harm. Yet, amid all their specious professions, I nowhere hear God’s Son entitled God; I never hear sonship attributed to the Son. They say much about His having the name of Son, but nothing about His having the nature. That is kept out of sight, that He may seem to have no right even to the name. They make a show of unmasking other heresies to conceal the fact that they are heretics themselves. They strenuously assert that there is One only, One true God, to the end that they may strip the Son of God of His true and personal Divinity.
Returning after Constantius’ death to his bishopric in 361, St. Hilary denounced Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Milan, Italy (who was succeeded by St. Ambrose, who later influenced St. Augustine).
Saint Hilary spent his remaining years travelling as a missionary of the faith until he died in 368. He exercised mercy towards those sincerely misled by Arian teaching, and kindly corrected their misunderstandings.
Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, pray for us! Inspire us to always seek the truth of our Catholic faith!
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