The First Non-Saint Pope in Christian History: Liberius

Pope Liberius 1st was the 39th pope in the Roman Catholic tradition. However, he is most known as the first Pope not to receive the title of Saint. In this video, we will examine Liberius's life, see why he was the first Pope not to be awarded the title of Saint, and consider what that legacy means for us today. 0:00 Introduction 1:48 Reason for Non-Saint Status 4:43 Early Life 5:30 Emperor Constantius II 6:05 Council of Arles 353 8:13 Council of Milan 355 10:50 Battle Against an Emperor 12:10 Confrontation of Pope and Emperor 13:13 Exit to Thrace 14:34 Anti-Pope Felix II 15:41 Liberius Wants Back 16:29 Letters of Liberius & Sirmian Creed 17:58 Historical Fight Against Arianism 18:42 Who is the Pope? 20:00 Death of Constantius II and New Emperor Julian 20:36 The New Liberius 22:36 Death of Liberius and Legacy The life of Liberius has gone through many different stages throughout Christian history. A contemporary of his day, Saint Athanasius of Alexandria was on the receiving end of many of the negative actions of Liberius. Athanasius was outspoken about his hatred toward Liberius and called for his removal as leader of the Church. However, Pope Pius IX would later become a near apologist for Liberius whom he stated did nothing wrong. Liberius would become Bishop of Rome sometime around 352 AD. This title would retroactively become the title of Pope, and in his life, it is evident that his position came with it a major role that would attempt to hold off Emperor Constantius II and his fight for Arianism. Liberius's legacy comes from his inability to fully fight off the heretical belief system of Arianism. This was the belief that rejected the divinity of Jesus and sought to make him separate from the Father. This belief was opposed by the Nicene Creed that the Church had developed before the papacy of Liberius began. This battle between Arianism and Nicene Orthodoxy had been raging on before LIberius's papacy began, and would continue after his death. But while he was alive, his failure to take a strong stance would begin to cause many problems in his life. He refused to attend some important meetings, deciding to only send delegates, and thus allowed Athanasius to be condemned, and Arianism to be promoted. At this point Liberius had to step in and defend his beliefs, so he met with Emperor Constantius II and demanded he repent of his ways. Constantius did not repent, and exiled Liberius to Thrace and elected a new Pope, Anti-Pope Felix II to take over for Liberius. Although this helped to solidify his stance for Nicene Orthodoxy in the minds of many, it would only last a few years as his time in Thrace caused a complete change in his position. While in Thrace he sent word to the Emperor that he would be willing to agree to the previous terms if he would make him Pope once again. This is single-handily the thing that caused Liebrius to lose the opportunity of becoming a saint. He allowed the Arian movement to attach his name to some letters that would circulate that he believed in the Arian movement, as well as the Sirmian Creed which outlined their opposition to Nicene Creed Orthodox theology. Liberius came back and kicked out Felix, taking back his role as leader of the Church. However, his reputation had been destroyed and for many, they viewed this as a betrayal that all of those martyrs that had come before him had stood for. But just a little after returning, Emperor Constantius II would pass away. After his death, Emperor Julian took over and was extremely hostile toward the Christian community. This new persecution led to a renewal of the Christian community. Many of those who pushed for Arianism left the Church, and Liberius turned once again back to his Nicene Orthodoxy. He never really addressed the issue, rather, he helped guide the Church back to the orthodoxy. Although he would help to repair his reputation later in his life, compared to what he had given up to be back where he was, it would forever ruin his opportunity to be immortalized as a Saint. But just because Liberius is not considered a Saint, it doesn't mean that he was unredeemable, or that there is no reason to study his life. It is difficult to imagine what any of us would do in this position, but it is a reminder that even someone in the highest position in Christianity can fall into the temptation of comfortability. But it didn't end there, Liberius reminds us that even if we do fall, we can always turn back to Jesus and return to the faithful teachings that the Church has preserved throughout history.