St Hilary of Poiter Anglican Church Morphett Vale

History

The following is the history of St. Hilary of Poitiers.

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Born in that city at the beginning of the fourth century; he died there 1 November, according to the most accredited opinion, or according to the Roman Breviary, on 13 January, 368. Belonging to a noble and possibly pagan family, he was instructed in all the branches of profane learning, but, having also taken up the study of Holy Scripture and finding there the truth which he sought, he renounced idolatry and was baptized.

At the time the Church greatly disturbed by internal discords, the authority of the popes was neither able to prevent or to stop the problems. Arianism had made frightful ravages in various regions and threatened to invade Gaul, where it already had numerous partisans more or less secretly affiliated with it. Saturninus, Bishop of Arles, was the most active, being exposed by Hilary, convened and presided over a council at Beziers in 356 with the intention of justifying himself, or rather of establishing his false doctrine. Here the Bishop of Poitiers presented himself to defend orthodoxy, but the council, which was composed mostly of Arians, refused to hear him, and not long afterwards denounced to the Emperor Constnatius, he was at his command transported to the distant coasts of Phrygia.

In his work, he sought to show that sometimes the difference between the doctrines of certain heretics and orthodox beliefs was rather in the words than in the ideas, which led to his counseling the bishops of the West to be reserved in their condemnation. He was sharply reproached for his indulgence by certain ardent Catholics, the leader of whom was Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari. In 359, the city of Seleucia witnessed the assembly in synod of a large number of Oriental bishops, nearly all of whom were either Anomoeans or Semi-Arians. Hilary, whom everyone wished to see and hear, so great was his reputation for learning and virtue, was invited to be present at this assembly.

In 361 Hilary re-entered Poitiers in triumph and resumed possession of his seat. He was welcomed by his flock and his brothers in the episcopate, and was visited by Martin, his former disciple and subsequently Bishop of Tours. The success he had achieved in his combat against error was rendered more brilliant shortly afterwards by the deposition of Satuninus, the Arian Bishop of Arles by whom he had been persecuted. However, as in Italy the memory of his efforts he had made to bring about a reconciliation between the nearly converted Semi-Arians and the Catholics, he went in 364 to the Bishop of Vercelli to endeavor to overcome the intolerance of the partisans of the Bishop Lucifer. He returned to his city of Poitiers, from which he was not again to leave and where he was to die. This learned and energetic bishop had fought against error with the pen as well as in words.

The Latin Church celebrates his feast on 14 January, and Pius IX raised him to the rank of Doctor of the Universal Church. The Church of Puy glories in the supposed possession of his relics, but according to one tradition his body was borne to the church of St-Denys near Paris, while according to another it was taken from the church of St-Hilarie at Poitiers and burned by the Protestants in 1572.