Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Eusebius, Bishop of Cesarea in Palestine, where he was born in about the year 260AD, can be considered “the most qualified exponent of Christian culture of his day in many different contexts, ranging from theology to exegesis, from history to erudition. Eusebius is known principally as the first historian of Christianity, but he was also the great philologist of the early Church ”. To this illustrious personage among the Apostolic Fathers, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI devoted his catechesis addressed to thousands of visitors gathered for his Wednesday general audience in St Peter's Square on 13 June.
Formed with the help of texts in the large library founded by Origen, as Bishop of Cesarea, Eusebius, in 325, played a leading part in the Council of Nicea. “He signed its Credo and its statement on the full divinity of the Son of God- the Pope recalled -, defined by the Council ‘of the same being of the Father’ (homooúsios tõ Patrí). This is almost the same Creed which we recite every Sunday during Holy Mass. A sincere admirer of Constantine, who had granted peace to the Church, Eusebius was held in esteem and consideration by him”.
A tireless scholar, Eusebius set out to reflect and assess three centuries of Christianity, lived under persecution, drawing from Christian and pagan fonts preserved mainly in the great library at Cesarea. “The imperishable fame of Eusebius is connected primarily with the ten books of his Ecclesiastical History- the Pope underlined -. He was the first to write a History of the Church, which remains fundamental thanks to the fonts placed by Eusebius at our disposal for ever. With his History of the Church he succeeded in saving from certain oblivion numerous events, personages and literary works of the early Church”.
At the beginning of the first book Eusebius lists the subjects he intends to treat in the work: “the succession of the Apostles as the framework of the Church, the diffusion of the Message, the errors, then the persecutions by the pagans and the great witnesses who are the light of this History. In all this - said Benedict XVI - through him, we perceive the mercy and loving kindness of the Saviour. In this way Eusebius inaugurates ecclesiastical historiography…”.
The Holy Father then illustrated the fundamental perspective of the historiography of Eusebius: “his was a 'Christ centred' history which reveals gradually the mystery of God's love for mankind… Another characteristic, which will be a constant in early ecclesiastical historiography, is the "moral intent " which presides over the account. Historical analysis is never an end in itself; it is done not only to know about the past; instead it aims decisively for conversion, and authentic witness of Christian life on the part of the faithful. It is a guide for us”.
Eusebius challenges believers of every epoch on the manner of approaching the vicissitudes of history, and of the Church in particular, and Pope Benedict XVI continued: “He challenges us too: what is our attitude with regard to the vicissitudes of the Church? Is it the attitude of one who is interested simply out of curiosity, perhaps in search of the sensational or the scandal at all costs? Or is it an attitude of love, open to the mystery, of one who knows - through faith - that he can find in the history of the Church the signs of God's love and His great works of the salvation has accomplished? If this is our attitude we cannot fail to be stirred to respond more consistently and generously, with a more Christian witness of life, so as to leave signs of God's love also for the future generations.”
The Holy Father concluded “Still today Eusebius of Cesarea calls believers, he calls us, to be speechless, to contemplate the great works of God in history for the salvation of mankind. And just as energetically he calls us to conversion of life. In fact, before a God who so loved us, we cannot remain inert. The instance proper to love is that the whole life is oriented to the imitation of the Beloved. Let us make every effort therefore to leave in our life a limpid trace of the love of God.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 14/6/2007 - righe 45, parole 657)
