The Roman Church
of Constantine...
The Roman Catholic Church was founded by the Roman
Emperor, Constantine, in 313 A.D.???
That is what some anti-Catholics will tell you.
When you ask them for "proof" of what they say, they will refer
to the "Edict of Milan" issued by Emperor
Constantine in 313 A.D.
This false charge is riddled with errors. Let us examine
them one at a time...
1. They use faulty reasoning by saying that since the
Catholic Church is called the "Roman Catholic Church", it must
have been founded by a Roman Emperor, namely Constantine. They point to
the "Edict of Milan", issued in 313 A.D.,
as "proof". Now if anyone would just read the "Edict"
for themselves, they would find that it merely gave Christianity the freedom
to practice the faith openly and with no fear of persecution from the Romans.
After all, for centuries Christians were persecuted mercilessly by the
Romans from the very beginning. It was the Romans who nailed Jesus Christ
to the cross and it was a Roman soldier who thrust a spear into His side.
Do you recall the Roman Circus and all of those hungry lions?
Nothing at all is said in the "Edict" about Constantine founding
the "Catholic Church", which is not even mentioned by name in
the document, and the persons who perpetrate this false charge cannot provide
any other genuine historical document which supports it.
2. Their second error is the fact that the term ,"Roman
Catholic", was not even coined until about 1200 years later in the
16th century, by Protestant reformers, especially
Anglicans, because they wanted to retain the name "Catholic"
for themselves.
3. Their third error is their failure to read, and to
accept, the documents of the Church
Fathers and other Church writers. Hundreds of these documents clearly
contain the words "Catholic Church", and are dated from 107
A.D.. That date is hundreds of years before
Constantine's "Edict" was issued. Genuine historical writings
in which the words "Catholic Church" appear, are in every century
from 107, up to and beyond the Reformation, and to this very day.
The sheer volume of these genuine historical documents
is so overwhelming, that it is a continuity that cannot be denied.
Saint Augustine alone, mentioned the Catholic
Church by name over 300 times in his writings. Just to mention a few more,
so did Saint Athanasius and
Saint Jerome mentioned the Catholic Church by
name many times. These are just three examples out of scores of early authors.
4. Their fourth error is in trying to show that the "Catholic
Church", and the "Roman Catholic Church", are two different
Churches, when in fact they are one and the same.
5. Their fifth error is their interpretation of, for example,
the Russian Catholic Church, the Ukranian Catholic Church, etc. They try
to show divisions such as Roman, Russian, Ukrainian etc. They fail to realize
that there are many Catholics in these, and many other countries, and they
are not separate Catholic Churches, but are united to the one Holy Catholic
Church. The names just distinguish them from the Orthodox Churches in those
countries. It would be proper to say, "the Catholic Church in Russia,
the Catholic Church in Ukraine", etc..
6. Their sixth error is tagged to the first error in that
anti-Catholics try to peg the Catholic Church as an "apostate"*
or a "Pagan Church", since they charge
that it "was founded" by the pagan Roman Emperor Constantine.
If the detractors insist on this false charge, then they will have to admit
that the very Bible which they all use, came from
that same "apostate" or "pagan" Church, and it was
provided by that Church scores of years after Constantine died.
*Calling
the Catholic Church an "apostate Church" is tantamount to calling
Jesus Christ a liar
(1John 5:10), for Jesus promised in Matthew 28:20, that He would be with
His Church every day in every century until the end of time, and with no
gaps. He also promised that the Holy Spirit would be with His Church forever,
in John 14:16-17, and that His Church is the final authority, in
Matthew 18:17, and that He would not orphan His Church, in John 14:18.
Saint Paul wrote in Ephesians that, "Just as Christ is head of the
Church, being Himself savior of the body." Ephesians 5:21
Now who or what is the Body of Christ? It is His Church. Ephesians 1:22-23
So since Jesus Christ is the Savior of His Church, could it ever become
an "apostate Church"?
Saint Paul also said that it is the Church which is the "pillar and
foundation of the truth",
in 1Timothy 3:15. He did not say it was the Bible.
So someone please tell me then, how the Church which Jesus Christ founded
could ever apostatize?
7. Their seventh error is in failing to read the history
of Constantine (285-337) which is quite interesting, as he was a
pagan Roman Emperor who was Baptized into the Catholic Church just before
he died in 337. If he had founded the Catholic Church in 313 as some claim,
then why did he wait until 337 before joining it? How could he have founded
a Church to which he did not belong? How could a non-baptized pagan found
a Christian Church? Who would join it?
His mother was Saint Helena who journeyed to the Holy Land in search of
the true Cross of Christ. She found it in a miraculous way, but that in
itself is yet another interesting story.
Written by Bob Stanley, July 6, 2001
Updated September 2, 2001
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