St. Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor

St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers: ca. 315-368 A.D., feast January 13

Birth, family background, and baptism

St. Hilary was born in Poitiers, in western Gaul, about 50 miles southwest of Tours, in ca. 315 A.D. His parents were pagan, but they belonged to a wealthy and noble ancestry. Hilary's parents provided him with an excellent education, especially in the Latin classics, and even in Greek. Hilary got married and had a daughter by the name of Apra. He read the Bible, found an answer in his search for truth, and was baptized in his early thirties.

Bishop of Poitiers

Though he was a layman, St. Hilary was chosen by the people to become Bishop of Poitiers. Despite his objections, he was elected bishop ca. 350 or 353 A.D. The people's choice proved to be right because St. Hilary attracted the attention of the whole Church. Hilary distinguished himself well by his stand against Arianism. He became one of the most staunch defenders of the Divinity of Christ. In his stand on orthodoxy, St. Hilary became known as "the Hammerer of the Arians".

Struggle against Arianism led to his exile

Upon Emperor Constantine's death, his son Constantius ruled the Eastern empire from 337 to 350 A.D., and then both the East and West from 350 to 361 A.D. Constantius called a council at Beziers in 356 A.D. In this council, Bishop Saturninus of Arles spoke in favor of Arianism. A few bishops courageously took the position of the Council of Nicaea, and went against Bishop Saturninus. St. Hilary was one of those few bishops. Saturninus reported Hilary to Emperor Constantius, who then sent Hilary into exile. Hilary was escorted out of his see and exiled in Phrygia, in Asia Minor. It was here that Hilary remained for four years. But he took time to compose his masterpiece - the 12 "books" of De Trinitate, On the Trinity.

A final battle with Bishop Saturninus and the Arians

In 359 A.D., Emperor Constantius called a council at Seleucia in Isauria to counter the decrees of the council of Nicaea. St. Hilary was invited out of exile to attend the council. At Seleucia, St. Hilary was successful in refuting Arianism. He was able to encourage the clergy to resist the heresy. After this event, Hilary traveled to Constantinople to request the Emperor (through his Second Book to Constantius), to hold a public debate with Saturninus. In a synod that was convoked (through Hilary's action), Bishop Saturninus was deposed and excommunicated. Finally in 361 A.D., the death of Emperor Constantius ended the Arian persecution of Catholics.

A battle with Arian Bishop Auxentius before retirement

Back in his own diocese, Hilary had to contend with the final stronghold of Arianism in Milan, where the Arian bishop was Auxentius. In 364 A.D., Hilary traveled to Milan. He engaged Bishop Auxentius in a public debate and won Auxentius over to confess Christ to be true God. After all these battles with Arianism, St. Hilary settled down to a peaceful life. He resumed his writing on the Scriptures. He also wrote De synodis, and Opus historicum.

Death and proclamation of the title Doctor of the Church

St. Hilary died in Poitiers, probably in 368 A.D. He was both Latin Father of the Church and a Doctor of the church (proclaimed so by Pope Pius IX in 1851 A.D.)
note:Fathers of the Church are saintly writers of the early Christian centuries whom the Church recognizes as special witnesses of the faith. The Age of the Church Fathers ended between 636-749 A.D. On the other hand, the title Doctor of the Church is a title that only started to be conferred during the Middle Ages. The title was given to certain saints whose teaching is outstanding for guiding the faithful in all periods of the Church's history. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the few who is regarded as both Father of the Church and Doctor of the Church. His feast is celebrated every January 13.

Sources of this blog post:

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• A Year with the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• The Doctors of the Church, volume one, by John F. Fink

The Sto. Niño, the Nazareno and Ina ng Laging Saklolo

(This blog post will feature Filipino popular devotions to Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary.)

Introduction

There are three popular devotions rooted in folk Catholicism in the Philippines: the Sto. Niño (devotion to the Infant Jesus), the Señor Nazareno (devotion to the image of the Black Nazarene), and Ina ng Laging Saklolo (devotion to Mary as Our Lady of Perpetual Help). The first two devotions are celebrated every year in the month of January, and the third is celebrated every month of June.

The Sto. Niño

The devotion to the Sto. Niño is celebrated all over the islands of the Philippines. The local Church in the Philippines sets aside the 2nd Sunday of the Year (after the feast of the Lord's Baptism), for the feast day of the Sto. Niño. The feast of the Sto. Niño is accompanied with great color, festivities, and parades with an infectious drum beat that can influence any passerby to dance along with the parade. Devotion to the Sto. Niño is so popular that even commercial establishments (micro, small, medium and big), reserve an altar in their workplace for the image of the Infant Jesus.

The Black Nazarene

Another devotion that characterizes the popular religiosity of the Filipino people is the devotion to the Black Nazarene. The celebration for Señor Nazareno is more localized - just within the vicinities and areas of Quiapo Church in Manila (where it is officially enshrined). Every year, the image is borne in a big procession by a great throng of devotees (wearing maroon and yellow attire - the colors associated with the image of the Black Nazarene). This devotion appeals greatly to the Filipino masses, who identify much with the suffering of Jesus carrying the Cross (the Black Nazarene is a life-size image of Jesus with a black face carrying the Cross).

Ina ng Laging Saklolo

Another devotion that appeals to Filipino popular religiosity is the devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Although the feast is celebrated every June, many people regularly flock every Wednesday to the shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Parañaque City - south of Manila City proper. Introduced in the country by the Redemptorists, a novena Mass is celebrated every Wednesday in the afternoon. There are so many devotees that people are accustomed to experience heavy traffic every Wednesday afternoon until early evening.

Folk religiosity or folk Catholicism

Catholicism was brought to Philippine shores by the Spanish friars in the mid-16th century. It is from Spanish Catholicism that Filipinos inherited the festive celebration of religious feasts. Over the centuries, Catholicism has been rooted deeply into the Filipino spirituality that it eventually evolved into what Jesuit author Frank Lynch terms as "folk religiosity" or "folk Catholicism". By folk Catholicism, Fr. Frank Lynch refers to the common people's great trust in God and their "traditional year-round mixing of culture and religion". He conceptualizes folk Catholicism in the Philippines as a "unique blend of official Catholic ritual and belief, peninsular Spanish and Mexican cultural traits, and the preexistent Malay spirit of the Filipinos".

A tourist-drawer and attraction to crowds

Of the three examples of folk Catholicism mentioned above, the one that attracts the most tourists from all over the world, is the celebration of the feast of the Sto. Niño. This is due to the revelry, feasting, and joyful atmosphere that it creates. Christmas is also a joyful time in the Philippines with its tradition of Simbang Gabi (early morning novena Masses from December 16-24), but its joyful atmosphere is more solemn and prayerful in comparison to the feast of the Sto. Niño. It is the parade for the Sto. Niño that attracts tourists. The parade has a dance that is rooted in ancient tribal dancing - making it very interesting (because dancers paint themselves in many bright colors and wear a variety of tribal garbs).

The Doctors of the Church: Teachers of the Catholic Faith

A book review on The Doctors of the Church: An Introduction to the Church's Great Teachers

These two volumes on The Doctors of the Church is a spiritual treasure that all Catholics should read, study and seek to understand. Many of the writings of these great teachers of the Church are letters, sermons, and commentaries that reflect a brilliance of wisdom and insight inspired by God.

A brief introduction

There are two volumes in this book. The first volume lists down all the writings of the doctors of the first millenium. The second volume on the other hand, lists down the doctors of the second millenium. Both volumes total 33 who are entitled by the Church with the title "Doctors of the Church" - doctor, meaning "teacher", from the Latin docere, meaning "to teach". (note: there are 4 new doctors of the Church through the papacy of Benedict XVI and Francis)

A wisdom that applies to all time

In reading one of the first millenium doctors of the Church, St. Peter Chrysologus, the reader will see clearly that what they teach is meant to be practiced in one's Christian way of life. For instance, St. Peter Chrysologus, in one of his sermons on Lent, said that "prayer opens the door, fasting obtains, and mercy receives." He says that these three form a unity and one without the other will not be effective. Applying this spiritual practice and exercising it especially during Lent, will reap for the faithful the wisdom and truth that St. Peter Chrysologus sees and teaches. It is no wonder that Peter Chrysologus and the other "Doctors of the Church" have been noted as worthy of the title.

The list of the 33 doctors of the Church according to each volume of the books

• Volume One
• Saint Athanasius
• Saint Ephrem
• Saint Hilary of Poitiers
• Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
• Saint Basil the Great
• Saint Gregory Nazianzen
• Saint John Chrysostom
• Saint Ambrose
• Saint Jerome
• Saint Augustine
• Saint Cyril of Alexandria
• Saint Peter Chrysologus
• Saint Leo the Great
• Saint Gregory the Great
• Saint Isidore of Seville
• Saint Bede
• Saint John Damascene
• Volume Two
• Saint Peter Damian
• Saint Anselm
• Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
• Saint Anthony of Padua
• Saint Albert the Great
• Saint Thomas Aquinas
• Saint Bonaventure
• Saint Catherine of Siena
• Saint Teresa of Jesus (Avila)
• Saint John of the Cross
• Saint Peter Canisius
• Saint Robert Bellarmine
• Saint Lawrence of Brindisi
• Saint Francis de Sales
• Saint Alphonsus Liguori
• Saint Therese of Lisieux

Saint Therese of Lisieux added as the 33rd doctor of the Church

It was St. John Paul II who declared Saint Therese of the Child Jesus or Saint Therese of Lisieux, as the 33rd doctor of the Church on October 19, 1997. The spiritual doctrine of this great saint, the "Little Way", has inspired so many in our modern century. We can learn about her spirituality from her own autobiography, "The Story of a Soul".

note: There are four new doctors of the Church not included in this two-volume book. Two were declared by the late Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, and two also declared by Pope Francis. They are respectively, John of Avila and Hildegard of Bingen, and Gregory of Narek and Irenaeus of Lyons.

Summary

There is a lot to learn from the writings of all these doctors of the Church. Since their writings are classics, it is still applicable for our time. What they teach can balance our modern Catholic outlook so that we can again be rooted in Scripture and the Tradition which has guided us to present times.