Pope St. Celestine I
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Pope St. Celestine I was the bishop of Rome from 10 September 422 to his death on 1 August 432. In 430, he held a synod in Rome, at which the teachings of Nestorius were condemned. The following year, he sent delegates to the First Council of Ephesus to address the issue of Nestorianism. Nestorius, the Arch-Bishop of Constantinople, rejected the use of the ancient title Theotokos (Mother of God), that had been used for Mary, mother of Jesus, for centuries. He instead proposed the title of Christotokos (Mother of Christ) which indicated his preference for the concept of a loose prosopic union of Christ’s two natures (divine and human), over the concept of their full hypostatic union (fully divine and fully human). That brought him into conflict with the greater Catholic Church, especially with Cyril of Alexandria, who accused him of heresy. Pope Celestine I issued a letter that was read at the Council of Ephesus and the Council formally condemned Nestorianism and excommunicated Nestorius. Four additional letters written by Pope Celestine on that occasion, all dated 15 March 431, that were addressed to the bishops of North African, of Illyria, of Thessalonica, and of Narbonne, are extant in re-translations from the Greek.
Celestine also actively condemned the Pelagian Heresy. Pelagius was an ascetic layman from the British Isles who taught that God could not command believers to do the impossible, and therefore it must be possible for humans with free will to satisfy all divine commandments without the aid of God’s grace. He also taught that it was unjust to punish one person for the sins of another; therefore, he denied that Original Sin tainted the soul and that infants are born blameless. Due to this position, Pelagius accepted no excuse for sinful behavior and taught that all Christians, regardless of their station in life, should live unimpeachable, sinless lives. To combat this teaching, Pope Celestine was involved in the initiative of the Gallic bishops to send Germanus of Auxerre and Lupus of Troyes to Britain in 429 to confront bishops reportedly holding Pelagian views. He then sent Palladius to Ireland to serve as a bishop in 431. After Palladius’ death, Celestine sent St. Patrick to act as Bishop, who became known as the “Apostle of Ireland” and is the primary patron saint of Ireland as he was largely responsible for converting a society practising a form of Celtic polytheism to Christianity. The Heresy of Pelagianism was decisively condemned at the 418 Council of Carthage and is still regarded as heretical by the Catholic Church.
Celestine strongly opposed the Novatians in Rome. The Novationists refused absolution to the lapsi (Christians who renounced their faith under Roman persecution), but Celestine argued that reconciliation should never be refused to any dying sinner who sincerely asked for it. Socrates Scholasticus writes about Pope Celestine in his work Ecclesiastical History; “this Celestinus took away the churches from the Novatians at Rome also, and obliged Rusticula their bishop to hold his meetings secretly in private houses.” (Ecclesiastical History 7:11).
Celestine died on 26 July 432. He was buried in the cemetery of St. Priscilla in the Via Salaria, but his body, subsequently moved, now lies in the Basilica di Santa Prassede.
Writings:
- The Letter to the Legates of Pope Celestine I to the Council of Ephesus
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Quotes and Excerpts:
On Papal Authority:
“We enjoin upon you the necessary task of guarding the authority of the Apostolic See. And if the instructions handed you have to mention this and if you have to be present in the assembly, if it comes to controversy, it is not yours to join the fight, but to judge of their opinions.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
On Church Councils & Authority:
“A Synod of priests gives witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit. For true is that which we read, since the Truth cannot lie, to wit, the promise of the Gospel; Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And since this is so, if the Holy Spirit is not absent from so small a number how much more may we believe he is present when so great a multitude of holy ones are assembled together! Every council is holy on account of a peculiar veneration which is its due; for in every such council the reverence which should be paid to that most famous council of the Apostles of which we read is to be had regard to.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
On Apostolic Succession:
“Never was the Master, whom they had received to preach, lacking to this, but ever was present as Lord and Master; and never were those who taught deserted by their teacher. For he that had sent them was their teacher; he who had commanded what was to be taught, was their teacher; he who affirms that he himself is heard in his Apostles, was their teacher. This duty of preaching has been entrusted to all the Lord’s priests in common, for by right of inheritance we are bound to undertake this solicitude, whoever of us preach the name of the Lord in various lands in their stead for he said to them, Go, teach all nations. You, dear brethren, should observe that we have received a general command: for he wills that all of us should perform that office, which he thus entrusted in common to all the Apostles. We must needs follow our predecessors. Let us all, then, undertake their labors, since we are the successors in their honor. And we show forth our diligence in preaching the same doctrines that they taught, beside which, according to the admonition of the Apostle, we are forbidden to add anything. For the office of keeping what is committed to our trust is no less dignified than that of handing it down.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
On Church Unity & Apostolic Succession:
“We must strive therefore in common to keep the faith which has come down to us today, through the Apostolic Succession. For we are expected to walk according to the Apostle… Now the Blessed Apostle Paul admonishes that all should remain in that place in which he bid Timothy remain. The same place therefore, the same cause, lays upon us the same duty. Let us now also do and study that which he then commanded him to do. And let no one think otherwise, and let no one pay heed to over strange fables, as he himself ordered. Let us be unanimous, thinking the same thing, for this is expedient: let us do nothing out of contention, nothing out of vain glory: let us be in all things of one mind, of one heart, when the faith which is one, is attacked. Let the whole body grieve and mourn in common with us.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
On Church Authority:
“Let us look once again at these words of our Doctor, which he uses with express reference to bishops, saying, Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, over which the Holy Ghost has placed you as bishop, that you rule the church of God, which he has purchased with his blood.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
On Apostolic Tradition:
“We read that they who heard this at Ephesus, the same place at which your holiness has come together, were called thence. To them therefore to whom this preaching of the faith was known, to them also let your defense of the same faith also be known. Let us show them the constancy of our mind with that reverence which is due to matters of great importance; which things peace has guarded for a long time with pious understanding. Let there be announced by you what things have been preserved intact from the Apostles; for the words of tyrannical opposition are never admitted against the King of Kings, nor can the business of truth be oppressed by falsehood.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
On Relics & Intercession of Saints:
“I exhort you, most blessed brethren, that love alone be regarded in which we ought to remain, according to the voice of John the Apostle whose relics we venerate in this city. Let common prayer be offered to the Lord. For we can form some idea of what will be the power of the divine presence at the united intercession of such a multitude of priests, by considering how the very place was moved where, as we read, the Twelve made together their supplication.” –The Letter of Pope Cœlestine to the Synod of Ephesus 17, May 8th, 431 A.D.
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