Pope Eleuterus: Encyclopedia II - Pope Eleuterus - Catholic reactions to the Montanist movement

Pope Eleuterus - Catholic reactions to the Montanist movement

The Montanist movement, that originated in Asia Minor, made its way to Rome and Gaul in the second half of the Second century, more precisely about the reign of Eleutherius; its peculiar nature made it difficult for Christians to take a decisive stand against it. During the violent persecution at Lyons, in 177, local confessors wrote from their prison concerning the new movement to the Asiatic and Phrygian communities, and also to Pope Eleutherius. The bearer of their letter to the pope was the presbyter Irenæus, soon afterwards the Bishop of Lyons. It appears from statements of Eusebius concerning these letters that the Christians of Lyons, though opposed to the Montanist movement, advocated patience and pleaded for the preservation of ecclesiastical unity.

Exactly when the Roman Catholic Church took its definite stand against Montanism is not known with any certanity. It would seem from Tertullian's account (adv. Praxeam, I) that a Roman bishop did send some conciliatory letters to the Montanists, but these letters, says Tertullian, were subsequently recalled. He probably refers to Pope Eleutherius, who long hesitated, but after a conscientious and thorough study of the situation, is supposed to have declared against the Montanists. At Rome, the Gnostics and Marcionites continued to preach against the Catholic church. The "Liber Pontificalis" ascribes to Pope Eleutherius a decree that no kind of food should be despised by Christians (Et hoc iterum firmavit ut nulla esca a Christianis repudiaretur, maxime fidelibus, quod Deus creavit, quæ tamen rationalis et humana est). Possibly he did issue such an edict against the Gnostics and Montanists; it is also possible that on his own responsibility the writer of the "Liber Pontificalis" attributed to this pope a similar decree current about the year 500.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Catholic reactions to the Montanist movement", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki