ON ST. THEOPHILUS, BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALESTINE,
AROUND THE YEAR 200.
A HISTORICAL COMMENTARY.
Theophilus, Bishop Martyr of Caesarea in Palestine (St.)
[1] Caesarea was regarded in the first centuries of Christ as the metropolis of Palestine, where from the conversion of Cornelius the Centurion the door of faith was first opened to the Gentiles; it was further ennobled by the triumphs of numerous Martyrs and by the learning and holiness of various Bishops. And indeed on this fifth of March, in the tables of the Roman Martyrology, there are recorded Adrian the Martyr, about whom we shall treat below, the name of St. Theophilus in the Martyrologies: and Theophilus the Bishop, about whom this eulogy is put forth: At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Theophilus the Bishop, who under the Emperor Severus shone conspicuous for his wisdom and the integrity of his life.
He was already inscribed in the Catalogue of Peter de Natalibus, book 3, chapter 177, and in the Additions to Usuard by Hermann Greve, a Carthusian of Cologne who died in the year 1440, likewise in the Martyrologies published by Francis Maurolycus, Abbot of Messina, Peter Galesini, Apostolic Protonotary at Milan, Peter Canisius in German, Constantius Felici in Italian, and Richard Whitford in English, whose words, because they indicate the same thing in substance, we omit. Ghini followed in the Birthdays of Saints of the Canons, and others commonly.
[2] Eusebius Pamphili, in book 5 of his Ecclesiastical History, treats frequently of the said Theophilus, and first in chapter 22 has these words: Meanwhile, when Commodus was in the tenth year of his reign, and Eleutherus had administered the episcopate (of Rome, that is) for thirteen years, Victor succeeded in his place. In the same year, when Julian had completed his tenth year, deeds from Eusebius: Demetrius undertook the administration of the Churches of Alexandria. At the same time... Theophilus presided at Caesarea in Palestine, and Narcissus... held the priesthood of the Church of Jerusalem... And many others innumerable... flourished in those same times. But we, as was fitting, have recorded only the names of those who have left behind to us the doctrine of the true faith set forth in their writings. Then in the following chapter is set out the controversy which was then agitated concerning Easter, in which St. Theophilus labored greatly, so that for this reason it should be repeated here for the most part. Thus it begins:
[3] At that same time a grave controversy having arisen, because all the Churches throughout Asia, relying on a certain ancient tradition, a Synod convened so that Easter might be celebrated on Sunday: judged that the feast day of the saving Passover ought to be celebrated on the fourteenth day of the moon, the day on which the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb; and they determined that the fast should end on whatever day of the week that moon might fall; while the remaining Churches of the entire world followed a different custom, which had come down from the tradition of the Apostles and is still observed, namely that it is not lawful to end the fasts on any day other than the day of the Lord's Resurrection. For this reason Synods and assemblies of Bishops met together, and all by one consent transmitted the ecclesiastical rule to all the faithful by letter, namely that the mystery of the Resurrection of the Lord should never be celebrated on any other day than Sunday, and that on that day alone we should observe the end of the Paschal fasts. There still exists the letter of the Bishops who were then gathered in Palestine, over whom presided Theophilus of Caesarea in Palestine and Narcissus, Bishop of Jerusalem. Another letter likewise exists of the Synod of Rome, to which the name of Bishop Victor is prefixed... and the letters of very many others exist. All of whom, professing the same faith and the same doctrine, issued one and the same opinion. And such indeed, as I have said, was their decision.
[4] Eusebius then sets forth in chapter 24 the dissension of the Churches of Asia, and having explained this in chapter 25, asserts that all came to one opinion regarding the day of Easter, and thus expounds: The Bishops of Palestine, whom we mentioned a little above, namely Narcissus and Theophilus, and with them Cassius of Tyre and Clarus of Ptolemais, and those who had assembled together with them, encyclical letters sent on this matter, after they had discussed much in their letters about the tradition of the day of Easter which had come down to them in unbroken succession from the Apostles, finally at the end of the letter they use these words: Take care that copies of our letter be sent through all the Churches, lest they impute blame to us who easily lead souls away from the right path of truth. We also inform you that Easter is celebrated on the same day at Alexandria as among us. Letters are carried from us to them and from them to us, so that by one consent and at the same time we may observe the most sacred day. Thus far Eusebius, who in his Chronicle assigns to Pope St. Eleutherus fifteen years and extends his pontificate to the very end of the reign of Commodus; indeed, he narrates the death of Commodus and of his successor Pertinax before he establishes the beginning of the pontificate of St. Victor, to which he subjoins the reign of Severus. Whence we judge that this passage ought to be corrected. St. Eleutherus is venerated on May 26, and St. Victor on July 28. The beginning of this See coincides with the year of Christ 193. Under this Pope Victor and the reign of Severus, Councils were held concerning the observance of Easter, namely at Rome, in Palestine, around the year 197. at Lyon, and elsewhere, which by the arbitrary judgment of some are referred to the fourth year of Severus, which would be the year of Christ 197. How long after that St. Theophilus lived is not clear.
[5] A fragment of the Synod of Caesarea exists in Bede in his book On the Vernal Equinox, which some consider illegitimate and spurious; Baronius, Binius, and others accept it as a genuine writing; its beginning is as follows: Pope Victor, Bishop of the city of Rome, directed authority to Theophilus, Bishop of Caesarea and Palestine, the care of this matter committed to him by Pope St. Victor: so that in that place where the Lord and Savior of the world had lived in the flesh, provision might be made for how Easter should be rightly celebrated by all Catholic Churches. Having received this authority, the aforesaid Bishop summoned all the Bishops, not only from his own province, but also from various regions. When that multitude assembled, then Bishop Theophilus presented the authority sent to him from Pope Victor, and showed what task had been enjoined upon him, etc. To the same Victor two letters are attributed, of which the first is inscribed to St. Theophilus, Bishop of Caesarea, although by error it is said to have been sent to Theophilus, Bishop of Alexandria, more than two hundred years younger than St. Victor. Perhaps from this error Peter de Natalibus, when in book 3 of his Catalogue, chapter 177, he had given the eulogy of St. Theophilus of Caesarea, this letter wrongly said to have been sent to Theophilus of Alexandria. immediately in the following chapter brings forward Theophilus of Alexandria and honors him with the title of Saint. Whitford in his Martyrology published in English and Ghini in the Birthdays of Saints of the Canons followed Peter; meanwhile, on October 18, the day on which Theophilus of Alexandria died in the year 412, we do not find his name inscribed in any sacred calendar. Concerning the excommunication inflicted on him by Pope St. Innocent, we treated on January 8 in the Life of St. Atticus, Bishop of Constantinople, §3.
[6] St. Jerome, in his work On Ecclesiastical Writers, chapter 43, transmits the following: Theophilus, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (which was formerly called the Tower of Strato), praised by St. Jerome and others. under the Emperor Severus, together with other Bishops, composed a synodal and very useful letter against those who celebrated Easter on the fourteenth day with the Jews. St. Jerome was copied by Honorius of Autun, chapter 44. Likewise, what we have given from Eusebius is commonly recounted by Nicephorus Callistus, book 4, chapters 19 and 36.