Athanase of Alexandria

Athanase of Alexandria (towards 298 - May 2nd 373) was a Patriarch of Alexandria at the 4th century. The orthodoxe Church Copte regards it as one of its “popes” and, in its liturgy, calls it the “apostolic one”, “headlight of the East” and “column of the faith”. The other orthodoxe Churches (which celebrate it on January 18th) count it among the four large Doctorss of the Church. The Catholics (who celebrate it on May 2nd), did of him one of the 33 Doctors and one of the Pères of the Church.

At the time of the Reform, Calvin held it in high regard, while Marguerite de Navarre, Rabelais, the Protestants not trinitaires like Kepler and Isaac Newton made it responsible for the first divertings of the primitive Christianisme.

Life

Athanase was born with Damanhour close to Alexandria to Egypt in 298. It there was devoted bishop in 328 and took a decisive share at the time of the great debates christologic of the 4th century.

Young man, he is reader of the Church of Alexandria during six years. He takes part in the Concile of Nicée as a secretary of his predecessor Alexandre of Alexandria. Its intransigence towards the Ariens, will be worth to him five successive exiles with the liking of the emperors of Constantinople:

1st exile : (11/07/335 to the 22/11/337) After the Council of Nicée, Constantin {{Ier}}, by indulgence or on the councils of his sister favorable to the ariens, request with Athanase to admit again Arius in the Christian community of Alexandria. Athanase, inflexible, is convened with the council of Tyr which condemns it. In spite of a plea near the emperor, this last decides for the exile into 336. Athanase spends 28 months as a Gaulle to the court of Trier. It is authorized to take again its seat with dead of Constantin 1st;

2nd exile : (16/04/339 to the 21/10/346) the untimely death of Constantin {{II}} deprives it of a guard, and Athanase is again vis-a-vis Constance {{II}} more favorable to the arianism. A synod joins together in Antioche pronounces its dismissal and names a foreigner, Gregoire, with the seat of Alexandria. Again exiled Athanase will defend its position near the pope Jules {{Ier}}. In 346 two councils competitor, one in Sardica for the bishops of Occident, the other in Philippopolis for those of the East did not manage to take a joint position on the arianism. Under the pressure of his/her Constant brother , Constance agrees to restore Athanase provided that the latter grants an autonomous church to the ariens, which Athanase eluded naturally;

3rd exile : (9/02/356 to the 21/02/362) the assassination of Constant and the usurpation of Magnence occupy Constance and constitute a répis for Athanase. At once this regulated problem, Constance cannot dissimulate its resentment against the bishop of Alexandria and fact pressure on the bishops of Occident to the synod of Arles and the council of Milan to obtain confirmation of the deposition of Athanase. The popularity of Athanase is great, this is why Constance made invest Alexandria militarily and place on the episcopal see Gregoire de Cappadoce. The partisans of Athanase are persecuted, and itself must flee in the desert. This new exile will last six years. With died of Constancy, the new emperor, Julien, are favorable to paganism and raise the judgments of Constancy in an Edict of tolerance, ignoring the christologic discussions;

4th exile : (24/10/362 to the 5/09/363) With the advent of Julien, Gregoire de Cappadoce is massacred by the population of Alexandria. The vacancy of the seat authorized the return of Athanase. However Julien had erased the judgments of Constancy, but its tolerance did not go until restoring the bishops in their function. Also it required the expulsion of the prelate, and Athanase was withdrawn once again in the desert, until its rehabilitation by the emperor Jovien. In 363, Jovien successor of Julien proclaims his attachment with the Council of Nicée. The meeting between the emperor and the prelate with Antioche hardens the Athanase position.

5th exile : (5/10/365 to the 31/01/366) Jovien dies in 364, and two brothers share the government of the empire: Valentinien Ier in Occident preaches the religious tolérence, but Valens in the East is openly arien. Each vacant episcopal see generated arguments between the ariens and the nicéens. Athanase was persecuted by its enemies, and the momentary retirement that itself was essential is celebrated like a fifth exile.

After five exiles, Athanase returns to Alexandria on January 31st 366 more to leave it. He dies haloed glory and virtues the May 2nd 373, the May 15th according to the Julien calendar. Its festival is celebrated the January 18th in the Roman calendar.

Its death, Valens ensures a transitory triumph the arianism while placing Lucius on the head office of Alexandria.

Athanase devoted the bishop Saint Prudence who will found the Church of Ethiopia

At one time when the dogma is not fixed (it will be gradually by the various councils), the debate which he delivers against the position arienne (to the subordationism of Arius which makes of Christ a creation of the Father, he opposes the doctrines of the Consubstantialité - the Son is distinct but of comparable nature that the Father) is one of most decisive in the installation of the catholic doctrines of the Trinity. He fights not only against the dissenting Churches, but also against the civil capacity of the emperors. Its charisma, its tenacity, its proud character, sometimes irascible alienated to him many enemies, but also supports as well among the population, as near its pars.

In its writings, Athanase seeks to convince while being placed from the point of view of the doctrines of the hello: " the man would not be saved if Christ were not fully Dieu".

Works

He wrote several works defending his theses and justifying his position with respect to the Arianisme. He also wrote a Vie of Saint Antoine which did not spare its support to him at the time of its démélés with the emperor Constance {{II}}.

Against the Greeks ,
Speech on the incarnation of the verb ,
Apologies ,
Speech against the ariens ,
Life of Saint Antoine ,
Exposure of the faith ,
13 letters written between 324 and 343.

Of the four Apologies, the last is apocryphal book, and allotted to Apollinaire de Laodicée.

The famous Symbole of Saint known Athanase also under the name of Quicumque is allotted to the bishop Fulgence de Ruspe towards 533.

Random links: