Bravo to Nicholas Owen and his July 14th reflections on LeoChurch [cf. link in Canon212]. He cites Tyconius, 4th century Bishop of Carthage, who’s become, or ought to become, a fascinating source of clarity in these our gassy “green” times.
His times of decay and rot appear analogous to ours. As if Goths, Huns, and Vandals sacking cities around the Roman Empire weren’t enough, Tyconius witnessed an uptick in Imperial blame on Christians and more barbaric retaliatory persecutions. Worse, he saw scared priests and bishops hastily surrender themselves, sacramentals, holy relics, and texts of Sacred Scripture to pagan authorities in order to resume their self-styled ministry (aka preserve their power).
Tyconius duly included them in “Expositio Apocalypseos,” his dire epic analysis of eschatological conflict between the Children of the Devil and the Holy Ones. He foretold, for example, that “the throne of the beast will be in his church” : those treacherous bishops will give shape and form to the devil’s body – the false church – even after the true Church has detached herself from it.” He uses the Latin “Discessio” to mean the departure, the detachment of “the true Church” going its separate way, much as did Lot fleeing Sodom, or the Hebrews leaving behind the fleshpots of Egypt.
The ‘falling away’ will precede “the Passion of the Church.” “The people of God, the saints, will endure and faithfully preach God’s Word, and the False Brothers [those in league with the devil but pretending to be Christians] will be unmasked when they turn and persecute the Church.” How will the False Brethren deceive people into trusting their guidance? Tyconius is emphatic that they are often found among the Church leaders, the bishops.
“Once apostasy has been enacted, the Bride of Christ will be battling not only the False Brothers but the heathen world as well, which will have joined forces with the False Brothers in an openly united demonic front…. Although she will be persecuted, like her Bridegroom, and even appear defeated, the Church of the Last Times shares in the Bridegroom’s divine life. She will prevail over the Antichrist and ultimately rout the false church.”
Tyconius had no illusions about the severity of that ultimate conflict. “That which Christ suffered once, now He suffers through the members of His Mystical Body… No one should think that the Apostles alone had died for Christ and that now martyrdom has ceased and that the persecutors are not in the Church. For it is necessary that the Son of Man always goes ‘to Jerusalem…to suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, and to rise again after three days.’ ”
Bravo to Nicholas Owen and his July 14th reflections on LeoChurch [cf. link in Canon212]. He cites Tyconius, 4th century Bishop of Carthage, who’s become, or ought to become, a fascinating source of clarity in these our gassy “green” times.
His times of decay and rot appear analogous to ours. As if Goths, Huns, and Vandals sacking cities around the Roman Empire weren’t enough, Tyconius witnessed an uptick in Imperial blame on Christians and more barbaric retaliatory persecutions. Worse, he saw scared priests and bishops hastily surrender themselves, sacramentals, holy relics, and texts of Sacred Scripture to pagan authorities in order to resume their self-styled ministry (aka preserve their power).
Tyconius duly included them in “Expositio Apocalypseos,” his dire epic analysis of eschatological conflict between the Children of the Devil and the Holy Ones. He foretold, for example, that “the throne of the beast will be in his church” : those treacherous bishops will give shape and form to the devil’s body – the false church – even after the true Church has detached herself from it.” He uses the Latin “Discessio” to mean the departure, the detachment of “the true Church” going its separate way, much as did Lot fleeing Sodom, or the Hebrews leaving behind the fleshpots of Egypt.
The ‘falling away’ will precede “the Passion of the Church.” “The people of God, the saints, will endure and faithfully preach God’s Word, and the False Brothers [those in league with the devil but pretending to be Christians] will be unmasked when they turn and persecute the Church.” How will the False Brethren deceive people into trusting their guidance? Tyconius is emphatic that they are often found among the Church leaders, the bishops.
“Once apostasy has been enacted, the Bride of Christ will be battling not only the False Brothers but the heathen world as well, which will have joined forces with the False Brothers in an openly united demonic front…. Although she will be persecuted, like her Bridegroom, and even appear defeated, the Church of the Last Times shares in the Bridegroom’s divine life. She will prevail over the Antichrist and ultimately rout the false church.”
Tyconius had no illusions about the severity of that ultimate conflict. “That which Christ suffered once, now He suffers through the members of His Mystical Body… No one should think that the Apostles alone had died for Christ and that now martyrdom has ceased and that the persecutors are not in the Church. For it is necessary that the Son of Man always goes ‘to Jerusalem…to suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, and to rise again after three days.’ ”