Saint Ignatius of Antioch is one of the most prolific of the early Church Fathers. We don’t know exactly when he was born, but we think it may have been as early as the year AD 35, shortly after the crucifixion of our Lord.
We do know that he was a disciple of the Apostle John. As a direct witness to the Apostolic teachings, he is a most credible source into the evidence that the early Church was indeed the Catholic Church that we are privileged to be part of today.
Here is a sampling of the very Catholic principles Ignatius wrote about:
The Church was established by God to be a visible institution, solely for the salvation of souls. He went further to say those who separated themselves from the Church, cut themselves off from God.
The hierarchy of the Church was instituted by Jesus Christ. In his letter to the Magnesians, he said, “Take care to do all things in harmony with God, with the bishop presiding in the place of God, and with the presbyters in the place of the council of the apostles, and with the deacons, who are most dear to me, entrusted with the business of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and is at last made manifest.”
He confirmed the Divine authority of the episcopacy. In his letter to the Smyrnaeans, he said, “Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful to baptize or give communion without the consent of the bishop. On the other hand, whatever has his approval is pleasing to God. Thus, whatever is done will be safe and valid.”
Ignatius is credited with using the word Eucharist to reference the Blessed Sacrament for the first time as well as the first use of the phrase Catholic Church to refer to all Christians. He referred to the Eucharist as the “medicine of immortality”.
Ignatius stressed the unity of the Church, the holiness of the Church, the catholicity of the Church, the Apostolic secession of the Church, and the infallibility of the Church. Essentially what we now call the marks of the true Church.
Even though Ignatius was bishop of Antioch, one of the original primacies of the Church, he vehemently defended the primacy of the Bishop of Rome. In his letter to the Romans, he said, “...to the church also which holds the presidency, in the location of the country of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of blessing, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, and, because you hold the presidency in love, named after Christ and named after the Father.”
Ignatius also specifically rejects several doctrines commonly accepted in protestant communities, such as private judgement in matters of religion.
We believe Ignatius was martyred around the year 105 in Rome. He was fed to the lions in the Flavian Amptitheater, which we more commonly refer to as the Colosseum, in front of tens of thousands of spectators. His relics are currently in the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome.
By the grace of God, through Saint Ignatius, we have a strong witness to the roots of the early Catholic Church and the importance of ecclesiology, the roles of the bishops and the clergy, and most importantly the Eucharist, the Sacraments, and the sacramental life. His life bears witness to all the promises Jesus Christ has made through His Holy Catholic Church.
With faith like that of Ignatius, the true faith of the Catholic Church, the Lord will deliver us from all our fears.
Thanks be to God.
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