St. Palladius and St. Patrick

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I stumbled across an anti-Catholic protestant site while looking up information on ancient and medieval Ireland. The site makes the claim that St. Patrick allegedly preceded St. Palladius and established a non-Catholic church in Ireland c. 405 AD (rather than 432 AD) which Palladius was supposedly sent to in 431 to “bring the Irish church into communion with Rome,” etc. It alleges:
Official Chronology of St. Patrick.
Year Event
373 Patrick is born along banks of River Clyde in Roman Britain, now a part of Scotland. Even though he had Christian parents and was baptized, that didn’t make him (or anybody else) a Christian!!
389 He is taken captive by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland.
395 He is converted to Christ; escapes from slavery and returns home.
405 St. Patrick arrives in Ireland with one Book: the Latin Bible. He begins to preach the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.
431 He has great success in Ireland. Thousands are converted to Christ by faith alone. He puts an end to Druid human sacrifices. Slavery is ended. Churches and schools are built everywhere.
465 St. Patrick dies and goes to his eternal reward in Heaven. After preaching the Gospel for 60 years the great Apostle of Ireland is buried near the spot where he began his ministry.
News of St. Patrick great success with the Gospel soon reached Rome. Celestine, Bishop of Rome, sent a man named Palladius to demand that those new Christians accept him as their bishop. Palladius was repulsed and flew for his life. He never returned to Rome and died later in Scotland on March 16. . . . In order to confuse the world, and hide his failure, Palladius was substituted for St. Patrick and his chronology was revised!!
Revised Chronology of St. Patrick.
Year Event
431 Palladius arrives from Rome. He is rejected by the Irish Christians and has to leave Ireland in a hurry. He died later in Scotland on March 17!! If he had come 25 years earlier he would have ended up a Druid sacrifice. The first thing the noble converts of Patrick did was to reject the Bishop of Rome.
“They know not the voice of strangers”(John 10:5).
432 This is the revised date of the beginning of St. Patrick’s ministry when he would be almost 60 years old!! It was revised to honor Palladius, cover up his rejection, and make him the Apostle of Ireland!!
The first and best witness to the truth of the above is St. Patrick himself in his autobiography: his “Confession” As a sober and trustworthy authority, it out weights all the medieval chronicles put together. The picture it presents of Ireland at the time of Patrick’s arrival is that of a pagan country. Not a word does he say of any previous preachers in this field. He is seen building up the Church from the very foundations. He says that he “went about among them from his youth” (Latin “iuventus” a young man)
reformation.org/ireland.html
The Roman Catholic St. Patrick is PURE FICTION. Papal Rome came to Britain with the Norman Conquest of 1066. A century later, the same Viking-Normans brought their cathedrals and crosses to Hibernia.
This year is the 1633 anniversary of the birth of St. Patrick (373-2006). His autobiographical confession was written in Latin, toward the end of his life. It is over 1500 years old and it is a real miracle that any of it has survived. It is missing a major section - at least 30 years of his life. It jumps from his dreams at home to an incident in Hibernia 30 years later. His greatest triumph on Tara Hill is not even mentioned. The Papal censors were very busy with this one!!
St. Patrick believed that the end of the world would come with the evangelization of the Hibernians. They were the last known people to the ancient world, living in the uttermost part of the earth. God always keeps the best for last!!
He mention 3 periods of his life:
His boyhood: pueritia
His youth: adolescens
His young manhood: iuventus
The age of St. Patrick when he became a deacon and left for Hibernia may be off by 1 or 2 years; Patrick simply says that he ministered among the Scots from the time that he was a “iuventus” a young man. Most of the great Biblical heroes began their ministry around 30. The revised chronology sends him to Hibernia when he would be almost 60 years old. A youth of 60!!
reformation.org/patrick.html

It cites this book for its sources: whatsaiththescripture.com/Text.Only/pdfs/St_Patrick_of_Ireland.pdf

What’s the truth regarding these claims? How can this protestant argument be addressed?
 
They are full of baloney and stop reading their lies. If you want to study St. Patrick, read and study books that have been done about him. St. Patrick is generally revered by Catholic and Protestants so these guys are really off base.
 
They are full of baloney and stop reading their lies. If you want to study St. Patrick, read and study books that have been done about him. St. Patrick is generally revered by Catholic and Protestants so these guys are really off base.
I obviously don’t trust the site or put any stock in what they say however, I was curious as how to address the particular claims quoted from a historical perspective. I was hoping that some forum members who may know about this subject (Early Christian Ireland) could shed some light on these claims and how to debunk them.
 
I stumbled across an anti-Catholic protestant site while looking up information on ancient and medieval Ireland. The site makes the claim that St. Patrick allegedly preceded St. Palladius and established a non-Catholic church in Ireland c. 405 AD (rather than 432 AD) which Palladius was supposedly sent to in 431 to “bring the Irish church into communion with Rome,” etc. It alleges:

reformation.org/ireland.html

reformation.org/patrick.html

It cites this book for its sources: whatsaiththescripture.com/Text.Only/pdfs/St_Patrick_of_Ireland.pdf

What’s the truth regarding these claims? How can this protestant argument be addressed?
I have seen sites as well that claim St. Patrick to be protestant. Too bad protestants didn’t exist for centuries and centuries after his death. What can one possibly expect from heretics other than heresy?
 
I’ve even seen Ian Paisley claim that St Patrick (and St Francis) are Protestants.

There’s no case to answer here at all.
If someone claims it then simply laugh in their face and ask for the evidence.
 
I have seen sites as well that claim St. Patrick to be protestant. Too bad protestants didn’t exist for centuries and centuries after his death. What can one possibly expect from heretics other than heresy?
:amen::amen::shamrock2::irish1:
 
People who make up such nonsense have no backing and try to convince with an excess of their own words. They will have to answer to God for it.

“Pope Celestine I, who rendered immortal service to the Church by the overthrow of the Pelagian and Nestorian heresies, and by the imperishable wreath of honour decreed to the Blessed Virgin in the General Council of Ephesus, crowned his pontificate by an act of the most far-reaching consequences for the spread of Christianity and civilization – when he entrusted St. Patrick with the mission of gathering the Irish race into the one fold of Christ.” - C.E.]

Now Seachnall, who was Bishop of Dunshaughlin in Meath, asked the Apostle’s permission to write a hymn in honor of a bishop who was yet alive. St. Patrick answered if he had made up his mind to perform such a duty, that he had need to make his will, as his dissolution was nigh, and that he of all the bishops then in Ireland, would die first.

Wherefore he, without delay, wrote the hymn, and according to Patrick’s prediction, his pure soul, having left the body, mounted up to heaven to possess the unfading crown of glory, for which he so zealously fought the good fight.

And so we know that the writing of this hymn is dated to St. Seachnall’s death.

The hymn, having been finished, the author asked St. Patrick’s leave to read it for him. Our Saint replied, “that he would willingly hear the Lord praised in the works of his servants, or what He has wrought through them.”

Secundinus, apprehending that he might incur the displeasure of Patrick, who disliked human praise, omitted the first stanza in which our Saint’s name occured, and he began on the second. Having proceeded on until he came to the words – “Maximus in regno caetorum,” St. Patrick interrupted him by saying, “how can it be said of a man, that he is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” Seachnall replied – “the superlative degree is used for the positive.” The classical scholar is well aware that such a practice is very usual with Latin writers.

When the reading of the hymn had ended, Secundinus hinted, that it was indited in honor of St. Patrick himself, from whom he expected a fixed reward.

Patrick, though despising human applause, yet not wishing to censure the devout zeal of his discipline, answered: “that Seanchall might expect from the clemency of his Saviour the reward – that whoever morning and evening would devoutly recite the hymn, would obtain a happy death and the reward of glory.” St. Evin adds, that Patrick announced: “that the person reciting the hymn would obtain a happy death, if he were penitent and contrite.”

St. Evin and others have written largely on the wonderful efficacy of the hymn.

Jocelyn says, that the Irish were in the habit of reciting it, and that they experienced its ordinary efficacy, that many reciting this hymn passed unobserved through the enemy’s ranks, though thirsting for their blood.
  • [O. Antiquities]
Here is the hymn, St. Seachnall who died in the year 457 a.d., wrote in honor of St. Patrick, translated literally from the Latin into English. He wrote it shortly before he died, indeed as St. Patrick prophesied.
 
Audites omnes amantes Deum (Hear, All Ye Lovers of God)

Hear ye all, lovers of God, the | holy merits
Of the man blessed in Christ, Pa - | trick the bishop,
How for his good ways he is likened to the an - | gels,
And because of his perfect life is deemed equal to | the Apostles.

Christ’s holy precepts he keeps | in all things,
His works shine | bright among men,
And they follow his holy and wondrous exam - | ple,
And thus magnify God the Father | in the heavens.

Constant in the fear of God and steadfast | in his faith,
Upon whom the Church is built | as on Peter;
And his Apostleship has he received from | God –
The gates of Hell will not pre - | vail against him.

The Lord has chosen him to teach the barbar - | ian tribes,
To fish with the nets | of his teaching,
And to draw from the world unto grace the believ - | ers,
Men who would follow the Lord to His | heavenly seat.

He sells the choice talents of | Christ’s Gospel
And collects them among the Irish hea - | thens with usury;
As a reward for the great labor of his voy - | age,
He will come into possession of joy with Christ in the
hea - | venly kingdom.

God’s faithful minister and His distinguished am - | bassador,
He gives the good an Apostolic ex - | ample and model,
Preaching as he does to God’s people in words as well as in |
deeds,
So that him whom he converts not with words he inspires |
with good conduct.

Glory has he with Christ, honor | in the world,
He who is venerated by all as an | angel of God.
God has sent him, as He sent Paul, an Apostle to the gen - | tiles,
To offer men guidance to the | kingdom of God.

Humble is he of mind and body because of his | fear of God;
The Lord abides upon him because | of his good deeds;
In his righteous flesh he bears the stigmata of | Christ;
In His Cross alone, his sole comfort, | he glor - ies.

Untiringly he feeds the faithful from the heaven - | ly banquet,
Lest those who are with Christ | faint on the way;
Like bread he gives to them the words of the Gos - | pel,
Which are multiplied like manna | in his hands.

He preserves his body chaste for love | of the Lord;
This body he has prepared as a temple for the | Holy Spirit,
And he keeps it such by purity in all his act - | ions;
He offers it as a living sacrifice, acceptable | to the Lord.

Enflaming light of the world, great one | of the Gospel,
Lifted up on a candlestick, shining un - | to all the age -
The fortified city of the King, founded upon a moun - | tain,
Wherein there is great abundance | of the Lord.

Greatest indeed will be called in the kingdom | of heaven
The man who fulfills with good deeds the holy | words he teaches,
Who by his good example is a leader and model to the faith -| ful,
Who in purity of heart has con - | fidence in God.

Boldly he proclaims the Name of the Lord to | the heathens,
And gives them eternal grace in the bath | of salvation.
He prays to God daily for their | sins,
For them he offers sacrifices, worthy in | the eyes of God.

For the sake of God’s law he despises all | worldly glory;
Compared to His table he considers all | else as trifling;
He is not moved by the violence of this | world,
But, suffering for Christ, he rejoices in | adversity.

A good and faithful shepherd of the flock won for | the Gospel,
God has chosen him to watch o - | ver God’s people
And to feed with divine teaching His | folk,
For whom, following Christ’s example, he | gives forth his soul.

Who for his merits the Savior has raised him to the dignity of a |
pontifex,
In heavenly things he instructs the army | of the clergy,
Providing them with heavenly rations, besides vest - | ments -
The rations of divine | and sacred texts.

He is the King’s herald, inviting the faithful | to the wedding.
He is richly clad in a | wedding garment,
He drinks heavenly wine from heavenly | cups
And gives God’s people the spiritual | cup to drink.

He finds a holy treasure in the Sa - | cred Volume
And perceives the Savior’s divinity | in His flesh.
It is a treasure he purchases with holy and perfect | works.
ISRAEL his soul is called – | “see - ing God.”

A faithful witness of the Lord in the Ca - | tholic Law,
His speech is spiced with divine | revelations,
That human flesh may not decay, eaten by | worms,
But be salted with heavenly savor | for sacrifice.

A true and renowned tiller of the | Gospel field,
His seeds | are Christ’s Gospels.
These he sows from his God-inspired mouth into the ears of the |
wise,
And cultivates their hearts and minds with the | Holy Spirit.

Christ chose him to be His vi - | car on earth.
He frees captives from a two-fold | ser - vitude:
The great numbers whom he liberates from bondage to | men,
These countless ones he frees from the yoke | of the devil.

Hymns, and the Apocalypse, and the Psalms of | God he sings,
And explains them for the edification | of God’s people.
He believes the law in the Trinity of the holy | Name,
And he teaches one Substance | in Three Persons.

Girt with the Lord’s girdle | day and night,
He prays unceasingly | to God the Lord.
He will receive the reward for his immense la - | bor -
With the Apostles will he reign, holy, over | Is - rael.

May Bishop Patrick pray for | all of us,
That the sins which we have committed be blotted out | immediately,
May we ever sing Patrick’s prais - | es,
That we may ever | live with him.

‘If you would be good Christians, be good Romans.’

St. Patrick
 
I obviously don’t trust the site or put any stock in what they say however, I was curious as how to address the particular claims quoted from a historical perspective. I was hoping that some forum members who may know about this subject (Early Christian Ireland) could shed some light on these claims and how to debunk them.
I didn’t mean to be flippant. Ireland had a very vibrant monastic community from the time of St. Patrick up to about 1200. The ruins of these monastic communities are still with us and pointing to the ruins is one way of refuting this site which is claiming Ireland became Catholic with the Norman invasion and they were built way before that. I guess that would be one angle along with some of the other hymns and writings other posters are quoting.
 
Oh, crumbs. Aren’t these the same looneys who say that Anne Boleyn was a saint?
Because, you know, there is :rolleyes:nothing more saintly than having an affair with a married man who marries you about 15 minutes before your child is born:rolleyes:. Just to:rolleyes: keep the crown in the family…

The world is full of people who babble without any of it meaning anything. Let 'em stew, I say.
 
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