Today December 10

Today is the feast of St. Miltiades, pope (reigned 311 - 314). He was NOT a martyr, since it was during his reign, notably, that Christianity was decriminalized and peace was restored. Christians came out of the woodwork and celebrated day and night with hymns and prayers after 10 years of enduring sometimes violent persecution.

St. Miltiades was a moderate man, "an excellent man" according to St. Augustine (not a bad authority, that), and he walked a fine line between welcoming back the lapsi (the apostates who broke under pressure -- sometimes severe pressure, like torture) and maintaining the purity of the faith. Push came to shove during the heresy of Donatism, which held that sacraments given by an unworthy minister were invalid (and precipitated by the appointment as bishop of Carthage Caecilian, who had given over the sacred books under persecution). St. Miltiades ruled in favor of Caecilian, and against the Donatists, without in fact supporting apostasy or indifferentism. It's just that the sacraments operate ex operare operatum, or despite the worthiness of the minister. Which makes sense, of course. Who wants to examine the conscience of his priest each and every time he presents himself for a Sacrament? A person would go nuts trying to figure out what the state of his priest's soul was. It doesn't matter. How wise, how moderate, how practical . . . and how very rude and countercultural it seemed at the time. But Miltiades had suffered plenty at the hands of Maximian in the years before legalization, and he was tough, tough, tough . . . though compassionate. St. Miltiades, pray for us. We need more men like you!