Every October 17, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Ignatius of Antioch (35-ca.107), Father of the Church and disciple of the apostles Saint Paul and Saint John, for which he also holds the title of “Apostolic Father”.
The Church is “for everyone”, without exclusion
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Saint Ignatius of Antioch is credited with introducing the designation “Catholic” to refer to the Church founded by Jesus Christ. In one of his best-known pastoral letters, he writes: “Where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”
The feminine adjective “catholic” comes from the Greek term “katholikos”, which means “universal”. In other words, Ignacio’s intention was to explain what was clearly being experienced among the members of the “church”the community founded by Christ: its “universal” or “for all” character, where there is no room for exclusion, to which everyone is invited if they wish to be like Jesus.
Everyone is called to be part of it – a true novelty for the time -: men and women, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, powerful and weak, free and slaves. That is, people of any origin and condition. To be part of the Church it was enough to want to follow in the footsteps of Christ, who went through the world doing good, freeing man from sin and death.
The term “catholic” also means that in the Church the fullness of the Body of Christ united to its Head, God made man, subsists, which means at the same time that she receives from Him “the fullness of the means of salvation.” . Finally, she is “Catholic” because she has been sent to preach the Good News to the entire human race, to the ends of the world.
The Church of Gentiles
Ignatius was born in Syria, probably in the year 35, and was executed in Rome, capital of the empire, possibly between the years 107 and 110.
He was the third bishop of Antioch (70-107 AD), a city located in present-day Turkey and, although there are not many details about his life before exercising his episcopal position, it is known with certainty about his service to those who recognized themselves as Christians. -according to the Acts of the apostles (Acts 11, 26) It was in Antioch where the word “Christian” or “Christian” began to be used as synonyms for followers of Christ.
Antioch, the Christian community that God entrusted to Ignatius, was one of the most numerous and solid of those times. She used to be called the “mother of the churches of the Gentiles”; expression whose meaning Ignatius understood very well and which led him to watch over not only his headquarters but also every follower of Jesus Christ.
He who brings God, unites
In the time of the Roman emperor Trajan, Saint Ignatius was captured and transferred to Rome to be executed there, due to his status as a Roman citizen. On the way to his martyrdom, Ignatius wrote a series of letters addressed to the different Christian churches, with the aim of guiding them and strengthening their unity in Christ.
At the beginning of each epistle, next to its name, write “Theophorus”, which in Greek means “God-bearer”, as an indication of the way he understood his own mission. In one of those letters he describes himself as “a man who has been entrusted with the task of unity.” Pope Benedict XVI called him, therefore, “the Doctor of Unity.”
Finally, in the epistle addressed to the Christians of Trales, he beautifully reinforces what was previously expressed: “Love one another with an undivided heart. My spirit is offered as a sacrifice for you, not only now, but also when I reach God… May the Lord grant that in Him you may find yourself blameless.”
Love and unity sealed with blood
According to tradition, Saint Ignatius of Antioch died devoured by wild beasts around the year 107, along with many other Christians, in the city of Rome, shortly after completing his transfer from the east.
The iconography captures the moment of martyrdom and makes the saint appear generally next to two lions, which in many images appear biting him: “To be wheat of God, ground by the teeth of wild beasts and converted into pure bread of Christ.” (Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Rom. 4, 1).
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, intercede for the fidelity of all our pastors!
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If you want to know more about Saint Ignatius of Antioch, we recommend the following article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Ignacio_de_Antioqu%C3%ADa.
Central Editorial
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