Paulinus II was a

claimant A plaintiff ( Π in legal shorthand) is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an ''action'') before a court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy. If this search is successful, the court will issue judgment in favor of the ...

to the

See of Antioch The Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (, , from which the word ''bishop'' is derived) of the first gentile Christian community, the position has b ...

from 362 to 388. Edmund Venables, " Paulinus, bp. Eustathian party at Antioch," ''

Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century ''A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century A.D., with an Account of the Principal Sects and Heresies'' is a 1911 religious encyclopedia of biographies. Edited by William C. Piercy and Henry Wace, Dean of ...

''.

History

Meletius of Antioch Meletius of Antioch (Greek: Μελέτιος, ''Meletios'') was a Christian patriarch of Antioch from 360 until his death in 381. He was opposed by a rival bishop named Paulinus II of Antioch and his episcopate was dominated by the schism, usu ...

had been chosen as a compromise candidate between Catholics and Arians. He was neither a thorough Nicene nor a decided Arian.Staley, Tony. "A real tug of war over the faith", ''The Compass'', Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, February 9, 2001
/ref> Members of the Eustathian party objected to Meletius as having been consecrated by

Arians Arianism (, ) is a Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is considered h ...

, and had begun to meet separately. Shortly after becoming archbishop, the Arian bishop of Constantinople convinced the pro-Arian emperor

Constantius II Constantius II (; ; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic peoples, while internally the Roman Empire went through repeated civ ...

to exile Meletius back to Lower Armenia and to appoint an Arian bishop to Antioch. Meletius was succeeded by Euzoeus, who was also opposed by the anti-Arians. The synod of Alexandria (362) sent deputies to attempt an arrangement between the two anti-Arian Meletians and Eustathians; but before they arrived Paulinus had been consecrated bishop by bishop

Lucifer of Cagliari St. Lucifer of Cagliari (, ; died 20 May 370 or 371) was a bishop of Cagliari in Sardinia known for his passionate opposition to Arianism. He is venerated as a Saint in Sardinia. Life Lucifer first appears in history as an envoy from Pope Lib ...

, thus effecting a

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

in the church. Constantius II died in 361. His successor, Julian, although not a Christian, allowed Meletius to return. There were now three bishops.

Athanasius of Alexandria Athanasius I of Alexandria ( – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Christian theologian and the 20th patriarch of Alexandria (as Athanasius ...

came to Antioch by order of the emperor, and expressed to Meletius his wish of entering into communion with him. Meletius, ill-advised, delayed answering him, and Athanasius went away having admitted Paulinus, whom he had not yet recognized as bishop, to his communion. The orthodox Nicene party, notably Athanasius himself, held communion with Paulinus only. Paulinus was "highly esteemed for piety." He was acknowledged as bishop by

Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...

, whom he ordained as priest, and by

Epiphanius of Salamis Epiphanius of Salamis (; – 403) was the bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, at the end of the Christianity in the 4th century, 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by the Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic Churche ...

. In 374

Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384), also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list ...

recognized Paulinus as archbishop and made him the papal representative in the East. In 378, the Western emperor

Gratian Gratian (; ; 18 April 359 – 25 August 383) was emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian was raised to the rank of ''Augustus'' as a child and inherited the West after his father's death in ...

removed Euzoeus from Antioch, handing over the churches to Meletius. While the imperial court supported Meletius, the churches in Rome and Alexandria favored Paulinus.

Basil of Caesarea Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (330 – 1 or 2 January 379) was an early Roman Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 370 until his death in 379. He was an influential theologian who suppor ...

supported Meletius. His followers were called "Paulinians." Meletius died in 381; Paulinus in 388. The schism did not end, as each side chose its own bishop. The parties did not reconcile until 415.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paulinus, Bishop of Antioch 388 deaths 4th-century births Patriarchs of Antioch Opponents of Arianism 4th-century archbishops 4th-century Syrian bishops People from Roman Syria