The Catholic encyclopedia Volume 6; an international work of reference on the constitution, doctrine, discipline, and history of the Catholic Church - Knights of Columbus. Committee, Paperback

• Release Date   5/22/2012
• ISBN-13   9781236447746 | 978-1-236-44774-6
• ISBN   1236447743 | 1-236-44774-3
• Format   Paperback
• Author(s)   Knights of Columbus. Committee
• This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 Excerpt: ...Gaughran, Laurence. See Meath, Diocese Of. Gaul, Christian.--The Church of Gaul first appeared in history in connexion with the persecution at Lyons under Marcus Aurelius (177). The pagan inhabitants rose up against the Christians, and fortyeight martyrs suffered death under various tortures. Among them there were children, like the slave Blandina and Ponticus, a youth of fifteen. Every rank of life had members among the first martyrs of the Church of Gaul: the aristocracy were represented by Vettius Epagathus. the professional class by Attains of Pergamus, a physician. a neophyte, Maturus, died beside Pothinus, Bishop of Lyons, and Sanctus, deacon of Vienne. The Christians of Lyons and Vienne in a letter to their brethren of Smyrna give an account of this persecution, and the letter, preserved by Eusebius (Hist. Eccl., V, i-iv), is one of the gems of Christian literature. In this document the Church of Lyons seems to be the only church organized at the time in Gaul. That of Vienne appears to have been dependent on it and, to judge from similar cases, was probably administered by a deacon. How or where Christianity first gained a foothold in Gaul is purely a matter of conjecture. Most likely the first missionaries came by sea, touched at Marseilles, and progressed up the Rhone till they established the religion at Lyons, the metropolis and centre of communication for the whole country. The firm establishment of Christianity in Gaul was undoubtedly due to missionaries from Asia. Pothinus was a disciple of St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, as was also his successor, I reiumis. In the time of i renanis Lyons was still the centre of the Church in Gaul. Eusebius speaks of letters written by the Churches of Gaul of which Irena?iis is bishop (Hist. Eccl., V, xxiii)....