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fredystairs
Guest
I’ve heard that as well, or that Constantine was the one who “invented” Catholicism. Both, in my opinion are ridiculous. This can especially be seen if one looks at the Council of Nicea, called by Constantine to decide the heresy of Arianism. The Council was called in 325 AD. About 20 years before that (if memory serves me right) there was a large persecution of Christians. Priests and bishops were killed, maimed, starved, exiled. Fast forward then the 20 or so years to the Council. Many of the council attendees had been in the persecution. Would it even be remotely possible for Constantine to have persuaded those bishops who had survived the persecution to change their faith? If he had tried to, he would have been laughed at - they did not submit to the persecution but they are willing to change their faith because the Emperor said so?? Hardly. In fact, he had great respect for the bishops. One description of the proceedings had him kissing the empty eye socket of one bishop who had lost his eye during the persecution.
Further, Constantine was no theological heavyweight. He attended and listened to the Council proceedings, but he did not contribute much if anything to the discussions. His main intent was to quiet the squabbling of the bishops within the Empire.
Constantine did not change anything of the Catholic faith.
Pax
