Saint Athanasius & the Church of our times

“What happened over 1600 years ago is repeating itself today, but with two or three differences: Alexandria is the whole Universal Church, the stability of which is being shaken, and what was undertaken at that time by means of physical force and cruelty is now being transferred to a different level. Exile is replaced by banishment into   the silence of being ignored; killing, by assassination of character."  
Mgr. Rudolf Graber, Bishop of Regensburg, Athanasius and the Church of  Our Times, p. 23                                                              

Sermon about Saint Athanasius of Alexandria

Bp Dr. Dr. h. c. Rudolf Graber

On May 2^nd the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Athanasius. Saint Athanasius was the great Bishop of Alexandria, who resisted the Arians, who denied the full deity of the Son of God who became incarnate in Jesus Christ, and because we live in a time very similar to his time I would like to speak today about Saint Athanasius. Bishop Graber, of Regensburg in Germany said: “What happened over 1600 years ago [at the time of the Arian heresy] is repeating itself  today”.

Saint Athanasius life is a very simple one. He was a deacon at the council of Nicea with his bishop, the Patriarch of Alexandria. Deacons in the early Church were aids and helpers to bishops. And he accompanied in the year 325 the Patriarch of Alexandria to the council of Nicea.

At this council, Arius the Heretic was condemned and the Faith in Our Lord’s Divinity was proclaimed. Far from being over, the Heresy was only beginning, because the Emperor Constantine had a soft spot in his heart for the heresy and the heretics, and much worse the Emperors after him were down right, Arians. And what they eventually did was to exile the Catholic bishops from their sees and put in their places Arian bishops. So, Saint Athanasius was made the Patriarch of Alexandria shortly after the council of Nicea, but then shortly after, was send into exile by the Emperor. He was exiled, because he would not be an Arian, and he would not compromise the Faith even one iota. For just in our times we have people who although not completely modernists would like to see some compromise with modernism, so in his times there were people who were not completely Arians, but wanted to see some compromise with the Arians. And they suggested change in the doctrine of the council of Nicea by adding one iota to the word consubstantial, which would have changed its meaning substantially, i.e. in such a way that the Son would be similar to the Father, but not of the same substance as the Father. And Athanasius would not compromise this one iota. And therefore he would spend most of his time in the desert with St. Anthony of Egypt. Many times they wish to kill him. He had to flee for his life many times, and whenever he went into the city he had to go in disguise, that how great the persecution was.

One time they came to him and they did not recognize him. And his pursuers said: “Have you seen Athanasius?” And he said to them: “I don’t think he is far from here.” And they went on their way looking for him.

And in the end St. Athanasius was finally restored to his See. He ended in victory. He died as the patriarch of Alexandria, which is in Egypt, in possession of his see. So, after a long life of persecution he resisted and victory was given to him. But this took 40 or 50 years of Arian heresy. Indeed, 40 or 50 years.

Similarities between his time and ours

There are great similarities between his time and ours, but there are great dissimilarities as well.

The similarities are these:

– There was a worldwide Heresy. Arianism was everywhere. St. Jerome says that the whole world was Arian. In the Eastern part of the Empire, which is now Turkey and Egypt and the Middle East, which was at that time completely Catholic, most of the See were infected by Arian bishops. In the West, less so, but it was a worldwide spread heresy, and it was a terrible heresy, namely that Christ was not God.

– You have the similarity that the Episcopal Sees were held by bishops who adhered to heresy. And in our own time we have our Episcopal Sees in the hands of those who adhere to the heresies of Vatican II and everything that flowed from it.

– You have the similarity that there is the persecution of the True Faith, that those who hold to the handed down faith were held at in social ridicule. And in worst cases were opened to direct persecution.

– There is the similarity that there was the social recognition of the false religion. Arianism was the social recognized religion. And the Catholic Faith was held in contempt.

– And you have also the similarity of the absolute intransigency of Catholics against Heresy. The victors of these times were the ones who were absolutely intransigent not the compromiser, not the soft peddlers they are all forgotten, by history. They are all to be considered as erred. The victors are the ones that did not compromise one iota. Nothing! Saint Athanasius said: “If the whole world would become Arian, then it will be Athanasius against the world.” That was his solemn resolve. For the Faith is the Faith and even if everyone should loss the Faith Athanasius, will not loss the Faith. They are the saints, they are the victors.

The differences between his time and ours are also great.

– The great, great difference is, that the heresy of his time did not affect the pope. The popes for the most part at that time held, out against Arianism very clearly and condemned it, whereas in our times the very pushers and promoters of the heresy are those who inhabited the Vatican and are apparent popes. What the emperor was at the time of Athanasius, the promoter of the heresy, Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI. are in our own times, where the Emperor, was placing the Arian bishops in their Sees, Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI. has given us heretical bishops. That is the big difference.

In the times of Saint Athanasius there was Pope Liberius, who was questionable, but he never officially did teach heresy. He signed a formula, which was highly questionable, but he did so under pressure of Exile. The Emperor send him to exile and in order to come back he signed this formula, but this was not a teaching of heresy, or teaching of error.

– But in our times we have the official teaching of heresy in the name of the Church, that the Church is not the only one church, but that the Church of Christ consists of all who look with Faith to Jesus - that the other religions are means of Salvation. Now, the Pope is the principle of unity of the Catholic Church, just as Christ is the principle of unity. It is Christ’s Church, and in order to belong to the Church you must belong to Jesus Christ, and if you belong to Christ you belong to the Church. Just as a father of a family is the principle of Unity of the Family. It is a family, and therefore, because he is the principle of Unity, he is the principle of Identity. You identify the Catholic Church by the members, who are united to the pope. You can’t separate the Catholic Church from the pope. And hence this is a major difference. And whereas Athanasius had to resist Arianism and resist the heretics, in our own day we must resist the heresy in the very Bosom of the Vatican. So, in order to be an Athanasius today you must resist the heresy, which comes forth apparently in the name of the Church. Thus, in order to be an Athanasius today it is necessary to say that the organization which is giving us these Heresies is not the church.

– And the other big difference is that although the Heresy in St. Athanasius times was widely spread, it was not absolutely universal. There were many bishops who held to the orthodox Faith, St. Hilary for example, whereas, in our own times we look around, and we cannot find one single Bishop, who hold firmly to the true Faith. Not a single one. We cannot find him. St. Athanasius said: “Even if the Church of Christ should be reduced to a handful, then that should be the Church of Christ.” Although it was not realized in his time, it is in our own time.

What should we learn from St. Athanasius?

– Firmness of Faith in face of pressure and persecution

We must trust in God: What seemed hopeless for many years for St. Athanasius ended in Victory for him, and the true Faith. For years it seemed hopeless, it seemed that the Catholic Church would sink. But it ended in victory. And we must trust in God. He permitted the Arian Heresy for a reason and many Saints were drawn from that heresy, St. Gregory of Nanzianzen, St. Chrystostom, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Basil. All heresy produces Saints. So, also God will produce his Saints from this time. God will accomplish what he wills to accomplish. We must trust in God as St. Athanasius trusted in God.

– We must also learn from St. Athanasius to be absolute intransigent in matter of Faith. There are many today who want to compromise with the modernists.

God permitted the Arian Heresy for a reason and through it he raised up many great Saints, and God is permitting our own crisis for a reason and we must trust in God’s providence and we must sanctify ourselves and to preserve ourselves from the heresy and the moral corruption of today. “And even if the whole world should become modernist, I will not become modernist. And I will be against the whole world.” Amen