Académique Documents
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Paul Polycarp
•Constantine created a
favorable environment for
Catholics after his victory over
Maxentius in 312.
•He had a vision of Christ
before battle and his soldiers
used Christ’s monogram on
their shields (chi and rho).
•This led to the unification of
church and state interests
(which is not always a good
thing in history)
Edict of Milan (313)
“Perceiving long ago that religious liberty ought not to be denied, but that it
ought to be granted to the judgment and desire of each individual to
perform his religious duties according to his own choice, we had given
orders that every man, Christians as well as others, should preserve the
faith of his own sect and religion … We resolved … to grant both to the
Christians and to all men freedom to follow the religion which they
choose, that whatever heavenly divinity exists may be propitious to us and
to all that live under our government. We have, therefore, determined,
with sound and upright purpose that liberty is to be denied to no one to
choose and follow the religious observances of the Christians, but that to
each one freedom is to be given to devote his mind to that religion which
he may think adapted to himself, in order that the deity may exhibit to us
in all things his accustomed care and favor … [Freedom] shall be restored
to the said Christians, without demanding money or any other equivalent,
with no delay or hesitation … For by this means … the divine favor toward
us which we have already experienced in many matters will continue sure
through all time” (in Eusebius, CH, X.V.).
• Towards the end of the century, Emperor Theodosius
made Christianity the “official” religion of the empire
(380). This marked the beginning of Christendom in
the sense of the political society…The Constantinian
coalition of the Church and the Empire brought
mixed blessings to the Church but also unleashed
bitter discords: Popes & Emperors struggled for their
freedom & autonomy.
EFFECT OF THE EDICT AND THE
PROCLAMATION
EMPEROR CONSTANTINE AND EMPEROR THEODOSIUS
The Christian religion became legal, persecution ceased, and
thousands of pagans now found it convenient to convert to the
emperor's faith.