Melitius or Meletius (died 327) was bishop of Lycopolis in Egypt. He is known mainly as the founder and namesake of the

Melitians The Melitians, sometimes called the Church of the Martyrs, were an early Christian sect in Egypt. They were founded about 306 by Bishop Melitius of Lycopolis and survived as a small group into the eighth century. The point on which they broke wi ...

(c. 305), one of several schismatic sects in early church history which were concerned about the ease with which lapsed Christians reentered the Church. The details of his life are not clear as there are conflicting accounts of it. According to one version he was imprisoned for his Christianity during the persecution under Diocletian along with Peter of Alexandria. Another source has Peter fleeing the scene and a third one has Melitius himself avoiding prison. Apparently, as early as during the persecution itself, Melitius began to refuse to accept in communion those

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

who had renounced their faith during the persecution and later

repent Repentance is reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better. In modern times, it is generally seen as involving a co ...

ed of that choice. Melitius' rigorous stance on this point stood in contrast to the earlier willingness of

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

s to accept back into communion those who seemed to have truly repented (a pattern which was addressed during previous similar controversies, including those who had lapsed during the

Decian persecution The Decian persecution of Christians occurred in 250 AD under the Roman Emperor Decius. He had issued an edict ordering everyone in the Empire to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods and the well-being of the emperor. The sacrifices had to ...

about 50 years earlier). As Bishop of Alexandria, Peter would have been recognized as the leader of the Egyptian church and thus Melitius's superior in church hierarchy. Historian Philip Schaff tells us that prior to Peter's death in 311, he spoke out against Melitius's actions and "deposed him as a disturber of the peace of the church". The supporters that Melitius drew around him included twenty-eight other bishops, at least some of whom he personally ordained, and the objections against him included that he ordained people in regions where he lacked authority. His group went by the name Church of the Martyrs, inherently objecting to the reacceptance by other bishops of people who chose to avoid the risk of martyrdom._Melitius'_influence_extended_into_Palestine_(region).html" ;"title="'m not at all sure this statement is accurate, the use of the name comes from Epiphanius' Panarion but it may be based on a confusion with the Donatists' self-description in those terms --> Melitius' influence extended into Palestine (region)">Palestine. It is believed by some that Melitius ordained Arius, known for the Arian controversy, as a priest. Scholarly opinions are divided on whether this is the case. The First Council of Nicaea#The Melitian Schism, Council of Nicaea in 325 attempted to create peace with the Melitians. Melitius was allowed to remain bishop of Lycopolis, but was no longer to ordain bishops outside his region. The bishops he had already ordained were accepted under certain restrictions, and had to be reordained. Melitius's death followed in 327, and he was succeeded as leader by his handpicked successor,

John Arkhaph John Arkhaph (also spelled Arkaph or Archaph) was the bishop of Memphis in Egypt in the 320s and 330s. He was a disciple of Bishop Melitios of Lykopolis, whom he succeeded in 327 as leader of the Church of the Martyrs.Scott T. Carroll (1989), ''Th ...

.Carroll, ''Melitian Schism'', p. 115. The effort to bring unity proved unsuccessful. His followers sided with the

Arians Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God t ...

in their controversy and existed as a separate sect until the fifth century.

References

{{authority control 4th-century Egyptian bishops Ancient Christians involved in controversies Schisms in Christianity 327 deaths