boneyard bill

In addition to what others have said, I would note that the Pope was not a big deal in those days. He was simply the Bishop of Rome and there were other Bishops as well. This is way, way before the Great Schism so there is no real distinction between the church at Rome or the one at Antioch or Jerusalem or other cities that had Bishops.

There was only one church: The Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. There was no Roman Catholic Church that was separate from the churches in Greece, North Africa, or the Levant.

Magdlyn

Absolutely untrue. There were dozens of Christian sects in the first 2-4 centuries CE. And afterwards (aka heresy). You might want to look for a book on this subject called Lost Christianities, or books by Elaine Pagels.

boneyard bill

There was only one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. There wasn't a Roman Church and a Greek one or an Eastern one. Of course there were many Christian sects that didn't accept the principle of Apostolic Succession that distinguished the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. But this is the church that Constantine dealt with.

RRK

I think he meant that at that time, there was only one church which called itself the "one Holy and Apostolic Church" (a phrase from the Nicene Creed). Today, several use the term, e.g. the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Assyrian Church of the East, etc.

Answerer

Well, the Arian church survived pretty well even without the support of Constantine at its birth. Some future Roman emperors even supported it over the 'original' Catholic one. So much for the myth of the "One Church". It was already split at the Nicene Creed.

Magdlyn

My research tells me Constantine voted against Arianism (to do with the nature of Christ) at the Nicene Council. But 3 yrs later changed his mind, reinstated it and was finally baptised by an Arian priest or bishop at the end of his days. Ironic.

Thanks for cleaning up what was meant by the one Catholic etc, church.

SLD

A very important point, RRK. I have read one source that argued that is the reason we have Christianity instead of Mithraism - the other rival mystery cult of the time. Mithraism didn't allow for such a late conversion and salvation. Constantine's "deal" with Christianity allowed him to continue his sinful ways, which he liked quite well apparently, and still not suffer the consequences. Thus he converts on his deathbed. Gotta love the Machiavellian streak in Constantine. He's certainly one of the best of the emperors.


Would we get some indulgences with those nails?


SLD

Bede

Mithrism also didn't allow women or poor people. Whether this was an advantage or not, I'll leave you to decide.

B