Polycarp Of Smyrna
St. Polycarp, born about 69 or 89 and died in 155 or 167 (depending on sources), was bishop of Smyrna, now Izmir in Asia Minor.
Summary |
He is a disciple of the apostle John , who towards the end of his life, had settled not far from there to Ephesus and Patmos. Appointed bishop of Smyrna, he served his department for about 70 years.
Some sources refer to as the spiritual father of St. Irenaeus of Lyons , to whom he transmitted the tradition of John. He fought many sects heretical , especially the Gnostics represented by Marcion. Polycarp greeted in his hometown of Smyrna, the bishop of Antioch, Ignatius, ad bestias condemned in the arenas of Rome. The two become friends and bishops Ignatius of Antioch wrote to him from Troas a letter thanking him for his home and asked him to send his church community to support Antioch. This is probably due to Polycarp we kept the body of the seven letters of Ignatius, by spreading in communities in Asia Minor. When the Gulf persecution ordered by Emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius , St. Polycarp is very old. It stands up to the proconsul who asks. It is burned in 167 (or 155).
According to the liturgical calendar, is celebrated on January 26 .
Story hagiography of the martyrdom of St. Polycarp
"On entering this holy old man in the amphitheater, all Christians who heard a mysterious voice telling him:" Courage, Polycarp, fighting man of heart! The proconsul asked him: "Are you Polycarp? - Yes, I am. - Have mercy on your white hair, curse Christ, and thou shalt be free. - There are eighty-six years that I serve and He did that well, how could I curse? He is my Creator, my King and my Savior. - Do you know that I lions and bears all ready to devour you? - Let them come! - Since you're making fun of wild beasts, I'll make you burn. - I fear that the fire that burns the wicked and never dies. Bring in your animals, kindle the fire, I'm ready for anything. "Everywhere, in the amphitheater, the crowd bloodthirsty cries:" It is worthy of death. Polycarp to the lions! But the fighting of wild beasts were completed, were arrested it would be burned alive. As the executioners were preparing to attach the stake, he said: "It is useless, let me free, Heaven help me. The Saint looked up to heaven and pray. Suddenly the flame environment and rises above his head, but without doing him any harm, while a delicious smell wafts spectators. In this view, the tormentors him pierce the heart with a sword. April 25 was 167. "
Date of death
"The blessed Polycarp bore witness to the beginning of Xanthicus the second day, the seventh day before the Kalends of March, a day of great Sabbath, at the eighth hour. He was arrested by Herod, under the pontificate of Philip Tralles, and proconsul Statius Quadratus, but during the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory, honor, greatness, eternal throne from generation to generation. "(Martyrdom of Polycarp, XXI)
These indications appear to correspond to the year 155. Indeed, there is no other time in the second century which can match on a Saturday (Sabbath), a February 23 (seventh day before the Kalends of March) and the second day of a lunar month (the Xanthicus 2) and in addition, good arguments show that Statius Quadratus was probably proconsul in 155. Polycarp had been named in 69, before the destruction of Jerusalem.
References
- Catholic liturgical calendar until 1970
- Orthodox calendar, and Catholic since 1970
- L. Abbot Jaud, Lives of the Saints for every day of the year, Mame, Tours, 1950.
Bibliography
- Clavis Patrum Graecorum 1040-1042
- The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers, Cerf, 2001. Online text: [1].
- The letter to the Philippians, bilingual edition patristique.org: [2]. There is also the story of the martyrdom of Polycarp and an introduction to these documents.
- The authenticity of the "Martyrdom of Polycarp": A Review of 25 years of criticism SAXER V. ; Mixtures of the French School in Rome. Ancient Rome Series 1982, Vol. 94, No. 2, pp. 979-1001
Loading ...