What do we say to those who believe Constantine created the Catholic Church?

[sope1971]

My father believes that the Catholic Church was founded by Constatine. Can you please give me some dates and facts that can prove other wise and where to look. I just recently bought the book the Faith of the Early Fathers. I can see where St Ignatius uses the word Catholic to describe the Church. Can you help me to formulate a good answer to this question.

Thank you,
Charles

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

You’re on the right track with the early Church Fathers. Constantine announced the toleration of Christianity in 313 AD. In the PRECEDING century St. Irenaeus wrote: “…the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although she is disseminated throughout the whole world, yet guarded it, as if she occupied but one house. She likewise believes these things just as if she had but one soul and one and the same heart; and harmoniously she proclaims them and teaches them and hands them down, as if she possessed but one mouth. “Against Heresies”

St. Ignatius of Antioch succeeded St. Evodius as bishop of Antioch in 67 AD. He wrote extensively about the centrality of the Eucharist and the Real Presence. He was one of the first to argue in favor of replacing the Sabbath with the Sunday celebration of the Lord’s resurrection.

Check these and St. Justin Martyr in Google to learn more about the Catholic Church that preceded Constantine. Look them up also in the Original Catholic Encyclopedia on the catholic.com web site. Also look up “Church Fathers” there.

As Blessed Henry Newman once wrote, to know history is to be Catholic.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.