St. Polycarp

Today is the feast of St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey). He was martyred on this date c. 155 AD. He was a disciple of St. John the Apostle. 1 of Polycarp's disciples was St. Irenaeus of Lyons (more on him later). He was friends with St. Ignatius of Antioch. St. Polycarp is 1 of the Apostolic Fathers of the Church.

Polycarp was born c. 69 AD. About 80 AD he met St. John. It was as a result of St. John's preaching & teaching that he converted to Christianity. About 96 AD he was elected bishop of Smyrna. He fought the heresy of Gnosticism as well as such heretical groups as the Marcionites. in 155 AD he was sent as a representative of the Churches in Asia Minor to Pope St. Anicetus to discuss the setting of the date of Easter. It was shortly after his return to Smyrna that he was arrested & martyred.

Unfortunately only 1 of his many writings survived. That was his Letter (Epistle) to the Philippians. The letter quotes extensively from the various writings of the New Testament as well as quoting Tobit from the Old Testament. Part of the value of this letter is that it shows how the Catholic Church was already discerning which writings were considered a part of Scripture. At 1 point in the letter Polycarp says: "For I trust that you are well versed in the Sacred Scriptures, and that nothing is hid from you." (Chapter 12) He goes on to say: "It is declared then in these Scriptures," & follows it with quotes from Ephesians, Galations, 1 Timothy & Matthew.

Polycarp's death is recounted in a letter from the Church at Smyrna "to the Church of God sojourning in Philomelium, and to all the congregations of the Holy and Catholic Church in every place" that is commonly called The Martyrdom of Polycarp. It describes Polycarp's arrest. Polycarp is told by the Irenarch Herod: "What harm is there in saying, Lord Cæsar,and in sacrificing, with the other ceremonies observed on such occasions, and so make sure of safety?"

Polycarp refused the suggestion. So they had him taken to the stadium where he was to be martyred. Here is how the letter describes the events:

"Now, as Polycarp was entering into the stadium, there came to him a voice from heaven, saying, "Be strong, and show yourself a man, O Polycarp!" No one saw who it was that spoke to him; but those of our brethren who were present heard the voice. And as he was brought forward, the tumult became great when they heard that Polycarp was taken. And when he came near, the proconsul asked him whether he was Polycarp. On his confessing that he was, [the proconsul] sought to persuade him to deny [Christ], saying, "Have respect to your old age," and other similar things, according to their custom, [such as], "Swear by the fortune of Cæsar; repent, and say, Away with the Atheists." But Polycarp, gazing with a stern countenance on all the multitude of the wicked heathen then in the stadium, and waving his hand towards them, while with groans he looked up to heaven, said, "Away with the Atheists." Then, the proconsul urging him, and saying, "Swear, and I will set you at liberty, reproach Christ;" Polycarp declared, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?"

And when the proconsul yet again pressed him, and said, "Swear by the fortune of Cæsar," he answered, "Since you are vainly urgent that, as you say, I should swear by the fortune of Cæsar, and pretendest not to know who and what I am, hear me declare with boldness, I am a Christian. And if you wish to learn what the doctrines of Christianity are, appoint me a day, and you shall hear them." The proconsul replied, "Persuade the people." But Polycarp said, "To you I have thought it right to offer an account [of my faith]; for we are taught to give all due honour (which entails no injury upon ourselves) to the powers and authorities which are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1) But as for these, I do not deem them worthy of receiving any account from me."

After many attempts to get him to deny Christ, the prconsol condemns Polycarp to be burned to death.

This, then, was carried into effect with greater speed than it was spoken, the multitudes immediately gathering together wood and fagots out of the shops and baths; the Jews especially, according to custom, eagerly assisting them in it. And when the funeral pile was ready, Polycarp, laying aside all his garments, and loosing his girdle, sought also to take off his sandals,—a thing he was not accustomed to do, inasmuch as every one of the faithful was always eager who should first touch his skin. For, on account of his holy life, he was, even before his martyrdom, adorned with every kind of good. Immediately then they surrounded him with those substances which had been prepared for the funeral pile. But when they were about also to fix him with nails, he said, "Leave me as I am; for He that gives me strength to endure the fire, will also enable me, without your securing me by nails, to remain without moving in the pile."

They did not nail him then, but simply bound him. And he, placing his hands behind him, and being bound like a distinguished ram [taken] out of a great flock for sacrifice, and prepared to be an acceptable burnt-offering unto God, looked up to heaven, and said, "O Lord God Almighty, the Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of You, the God of angels and powers, and of every creature, and of the whole race of the righteous who live before you, I give You thanks that You have counted me, worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of Your martyrs, in the cup of your Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption [imparted] by the Holy Ghost. Among whom may I be accepted this day before You as a fat and acceptable sacrifice, according as You, the ever-truthful God, hast foreordained, hast revealed beforehand to me, and now hast fulfilled. Wherefore also I praise You for all things, I bless You, I glorify You, along with the everlasting and heavenly Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, with whom, to You, and the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and to all coming ages. Amen."

When he had pronounced this amen, and so finished his prayer, those who were appointed for the purpose kindled the fire. And as the flame blazed forth in great fury, we, to whom it was given to witness it, beheld a great miracle, and have been preserved that we might report to others what then took place. For the fire, shaping itself into the form of an arch, like the sail of a ship when filled with the wind, encompassed as by a circle the body of the martyr. And he appeared within not like flesh which is burnt, but as bread that is baked, or as gold and silver glowing in a furnace. Moreover, we perceived such a sweet odour [coming from the pile], as if frankincense or some such precious spices had been smoking there.

At length, when those wicked men perceived that his body could not be consumed by the fire, they commanded an executioner to go near and pierce him through with a dagger. And on his doing this, there came forth a dove, and a great quantity of blood, so that the fire was extinguished; and all the people wondered that there should be such a difference between the unbelievers and the elect."

Then the Romans burned Polycarp's body, The Smyrnan Catholics "afterwards took up his bones, as being more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, whither, being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps."

This last paragraph is an early report of what developed into the tradition in the Catholic Church of saying Mass with relics of a saint in an stone on the altar.

Those who criticize the Catholic Church as not being faithful to the early Christian faith as taught by the Apostles & as found in the Bible would do well to read the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. They would be astonished to see the early origins of many of the traditions still practiced in the Catholic Church. Clearly the early Church didn't see these practices as conflicting with the Scriptures.

Which leads me back to St. Irenaeus. Irenaeus went on to become bishop of Lyons in France. Many centuries later a succesor to St. Irenaeus would ordain a priest by the name of Matthias Loras. This Fr. Loras was later elected the 1st bishop of Dubuque, IA. It is through this that I can trace the roots of the diocese of which I am a member & in which I was baptised as a Catholic to theApostles. I am a member of, as the Apostles & Nicene Creeds say a member of the "one, holy, Catholic & apostolic Church".