St. Athanasius
By Joe Moreaux and Janina Leone
St. Athanasius was the great defender of the Christian Faith and of the deity of Christ at a time when a third of the Bishops in the world, including at times the Roman Emperor, and even a Pope, fell into the Arian heresy, which claimed that Jesus was not one in substance with the Father. Over the course of 30 years, he was exiled 5 times under 4 different emperors, and was excommunicated and anathematized numerous times by local councils, synods, and bishops compromised with Arianism.
Pope Liberius succumbed to two years of exile, and in order to regain his freedom, signed a heretical creed known as the Sirmium Creed and also the Confession Against Phontinus, a document itself which included a condemnation of Athanasius. Cardinal Newman called this "an unjust excommunication." Sts. Hilary, Sozomen, and Jerome all opposed this and said Liberius was in the wrong. Sadly, Liberius' legacy is known as a weak leader who was semi-Arian in his thinking at the time of his death. Liberius ended up becoming the first Pope in history to not be canonized a Saint, whereas St. Athanasius was canonized a Saint for his heroic courage in offering Mass and the Sacraments even while condemned and in exile, and for never compromising on the truth.
There was also St. Eusebius, who was threatened with torture and death from Emperor Constantius for refusing to support Arianism during this same time frame. He went into hiding, disguising himself, and traveled to several Arian territories in the East where the Bishops were all compromised with Arianism. Without any ordinary authority supplied to him, and with zero support from Rome at the time, he went on to ordain deacons, priests, and Bishops, so that the true Faith could continue undefiled. He was eventually martyred by an Arian. All his ordinations were never questioned by future Holy Popes, and he too was named a Saint.
Though St. Athanasius and St. Eusebius were condemned and exiled, they are both now honored as those who preserved the true teachings and Tradition of the Catholic Church. Though they resisted, and in the eyes of some, "disobeyed," they obeyed what they knew to be true. In the words of St. Athanasius, "They have the buildings, but we have the Faith!" He also said, "Even if Catholics faithful to Tradition are reduced to a handful, they are the ones who are the true Church of Jesus Christ."
Similarly, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre said: "God does not punish, just as the Church no longer condemns, except those who stay faithful to Tradition." Many Catholics are quick to condemn Lefebvre for being "disobedient", and yet they reap the benefits of his "disobedience" when they comfortably attend the Latin Mass. He risked appearing disobedient and was faithful to what Mother Church had always taught, while others went along with the destruction of her.
Sadly, Catholics compromised by the heresy of Modernism will calI Protestants, who are outside the Church, "Christian", yet will smear those who are faithful to Tradition and attend the SSPX, as "Schismatic". The heresy of Modernism is the synthesis of ALL heresies. While St. Athanasius and St. Eusebius had to fight back against the Arian Heresy, which had made its way through 1/3 of Bishops, Archbishop Lefebvre had to deal with the Synthesis of all heresies: Modernism.
Catholics everywhere have become compromised with this heresy, just as Lefebvre feared. And now with so many in the hierarchy, more than a third, being compromised with Modernism, including 5 successive Popes, Lefebvre and those who support him are labeled as schismatics, however compromised Popes who performed all sorts of scandalous acts and personally believed heresies are labeled as Saints. Just as in the past, so too now, we must cling to the pure and undefiled authoritative teachings of Holy Mother Church, and patiently wait until God chooses to remove this chastisement, or possibly even until the Second Coming. They may have the churches and the cathedrals, but we have the Faith, even if we have been reduced to a handful.
