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41-452: The cathedral was founded by Saint Pothinus and Saint Irenaeus , the first two bishops of Lyon. The cathedral is also known as a "Primatiale" because in 1079 Pope Gregory VII granted to the archbishop of Lyon the title of Primate of All the Gauls with the legal supremacy over the principal archbishops of the kingdom. It is located in the heart of the old town ( Vieux Lyon ) and it backs up to

82-483: A synergist . Polycarp in his letter calls Jesus the "son of God" and the "eternal high priest" and that "to him all heavenly and earthly things were subjected, whom every breath worships, who comes as a judge of the living and the dead". He also highlighted the sinlessness of Jesus, defended the doctrine of the Incarnation and the death of Christ in the cross, and clearly opposed docetism . Polycarp outright denied

123-545: A ( Quartodeciman ) Christian Passover , respectively. Polycarp occupies an important place in the history of the early Christian Church, was called "the most admirable Polycarp one of these [elect], in whose times among us he showed himself an apostolic and prophetic teacher and bishop of the Catholic Church in Smyrna" by his contemporaries. He is among the earliest Christians whose writings survived. Jerome wrote that Polycarp

164-455: A Christian : I could tell you the place where the blessed Polycarp sat to preach the Word of God . It is yet present to my mind with what gravity he everywhere came in and went out; what was the sanctity of his deportment, the majesty of his countenance; and what were his holy exhortations to the people. I seem to hear him now relate how he conversed with John and many others who had seen Jesus Christ,

205-437: A more serious issue than immorality. Polycarp calls immoral people to repent but called the false teachers "firstborn of Satan." Polycarp stated, "I have served him [Christ] eighty-six years and in no way has he dealt unjustly with me." Proponents of infant baptism have argued that this quote shows Polycarp being baptized as an infant , the argument being that if Polycarp was a servant of Christ for 86 years, he would have been

246-456: A premillennialist along with his associate Papias, which suggests that Polycarp also held similar views. Polycarp refers to multiple books of the New Testament as scripture, including: Matthew , Acts , 1 John , Philippians , Jude , 1 Peter , 1 Timothy , 2 Timothy , Romans and others. Polycarp also quotes the deuterocanonical book of Tobit ; however, from his manner of quotation it

287-490: A season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked." Polycarp was burned at the stake and pierced with a spear for refusing to burn incense to the Roman emperor . On his farewell, he said: "I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ." The date of Polycarp's death

328-413: Is by grace rather than works, though later exhorts his readers to do good works. It is not clear from the text how he views works in relation to salvation as his comments are too little to make a clear conclusion. He could have believed that works are mere results of saving grace or that they are necessary to keep salvation and that they have meritorious value, thus we cannot know if he was a monergist or

369-516: Is in dispute. Eusebius dates it to the reign of Marcus Aurelius , c. 166–167. However, a post-Eusebian addition to the Martyrdom of Polycarp , dates his death to Saturday, 23 February, in the proconsulship of Lucius Statius Quadratus , c. 155 or 156. These earlier dates better fit the tradition of his association with Ignatius and John the Evangelist. The Martyrdom of Polycarp states that Polycarp

410-518: Is not possible to know how much authority he afforded it. Polycarp's letter to the Philippians only mentions presbyters and deacons, which indicates the church at Philippi was led by a plurality of "elder-bishops", which would imply a different ecclesiastical polity than what is found in Ignatius of Antioch's letters. Against this, according to Steinhauser, the letter does not offer concrete evidence that

451-480: Is one of the earliest, if not the earliest, accounts of the veneration of the relics of a saint and the annual commemoration of a saint on the date of his or her death: And so we afterwards took up his bones which are more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold, and laid them in a suitable place; where the Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together, as we are able, in gladness and joy, and to celebrate

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492-556: Is regarded as one of three chief Apostolic Fathers , along with Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch . The sole surviving work attributed to him is the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians , a mosaic of references to the Greek Scriptures , which, along with an account of Martyrdom of Polycarp , forms part of the collection of writings called Apostolic Fathers . After the Acts of

533-515: The Eastern Orthodox Church , Roman Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches , Lutheranism , and Anglicanism . Both Irenaeus and Tertullian say that Polycarp had been a disciple of John the Apostle , one of Jesus's disciples . In On Illustrious Men , Jerome similarly writes that Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle, who had ordained him as a bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp

574-487: The Epistle to Titus — to Polycarp. Since the text of those books includes attribution to Paul, this theory regarding Polycarp's authorship place the books in the category of pseudepigrapha . Hans von Campenhausen is one scholar who holds the view that Polycarp is the real author. The chief sources of information concerning the life of Polycarp are The Martyrdom of Polycarp , Adversus Haereses , The Epistle to Florinus ,

615-472: The Saône river, with a large plaza in front of it and a metro stop nearby providing easy access to and from the city center. Patiens of Lyon , who was bishop around 450 AD, built a new cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen . Later, in the seventh century, a baptistery dedicated to Saint John was constructed as an accessory building to the church. The Church of St. Croix was also near. This location later became

656-476: The assimilated name Saint Foutin . Polycarp Polycarp ( / ˈ p ɒ l i k ɑːr p / ; Greek : Πολύκαρπος , Polýkarpos ; Latin : Polycarpus ; AD 69 – 155) was a Christian bishop of Smyrna . According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp , he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body. Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in

697-459: The epistles of Ignatius , and Polycarp's own letter to the Philippians. In 1999, the Harris Fragments, a collection of 3rd- to 6th-century Coptic texts that mention Polycarp, were published. According to Irenaeus, Polycarp was a companion of Papias , another "hearer of John", and a correspondent of Ignatius of Antioch. Ignatius addressed a letter to him and mentions him in his letters to

738-626: The standard Jewish calendar , under which Nisan 14, the date of the Pesach, can fall no earlier than late March and hence at least a month after the traditional date of Polycarp's death 23 February. Hence, Lightfoot understood the expression in reference to the Purim festival, celebrated a month before Pesach, while other scholars suggest that at the time the Jewish calendar had not yet been standardized, and that this day, both Jews and Christians celebrated Pesach and

779-485: The Apostles , which describes the death of Stephen , the Martyrdom is considered one of the earliest genuine accounts of a Christian martyrdom . Charles E. Hill argues extensively that the teachings Irenaeus ascribes to a certain apostolic "presbyter" throughout his writings represent lost teachings of Polycarp, his teacher. Some scholars attribute the pastoral epistles — the biblical books 1 Timothy , 2 Timothy , and

820-610: The Eastern practice of celebrating the feast on the 14th of Nisan , the day of the Jewish Passover , regardless of the day of the week on which it fell, while Anicetus followed the Western practice of celebrating the feast on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox . Anicetus allowed Polycarp to celebrate the Eucharist in his own church, which was regarded by

861-577: The Ephesians and to the Magnesians . Polycarp's epistle to the Philippians gives us some insights to the early usage of the New Testament from the quotes used within his letter. Irenaeus regarded the memory of Polycarp as a link to the apostolic past. In his letter to Florinus, a fellow student of Polycarp who had become a Roman presbyter and later lapsed into heresy, Irenaeus relates how and when he became

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902-495: The Philippian church viewed presbyters and bishops as synonyms, though still admitting that the letter still raises questions about the polity of the early church . Steinhauser hypothesized that there was possibly a temporary vacancy in the Philippian church. Polycarp was a Quartodeciman . According to Eusebius, Polycarp claimed that he celebrated Easter on the 14th of Nisan with John the Apostle . Polycarp appears to make heresy

943-468: The Romans as a great honor. In the Martyrdom , Polycarp is recorded as saying on the day of his death: "Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong." This could indicate either that he was then eighty-six years old or that he had lived eighty-six years after his conversion. Polycarp goes on to say: "How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior? You threaten me with a fire that burns for

984-676: The birth-day of his martyrdom for the commemoration of those that have already fought in the contest, and for the training and preparation of those that shall do so hereafter. Relics of Polycarp are under the main altar of the church of Sant'Ambrogio della Massima . The right arm of St. Polycarp had been kept at the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos-Saint Polycarp, in Ampelakiotissa near Nafpaktos, Greece, for over 500 years. It

1025-411: The example of Polycarp in defense of local practices during the quartodeciman controversy . Irenaeus, who as a young man had heard Polycarp preach, described him as "a man who was of much greater weight, and a more steadfast witness of truth, than Valentinus , and Marcion , and the rest of the heretics .” Polycarp lived in an age after the deaths of the apostles, when a variety of interpretations of

1066-466: The first half of the 20th century. Saint Pothinus Saint Pothinus ( French : Saint Pothin ; c. 87 - c. 177) was the first bishop of Lyon and the first bishop of Gaul. He is first mentioned in a letter attributed to Irenaeus of Lyon . The letter was sent from the Christian communities of Lyon and Vienne to the Roman province of Asia . According to Irenaeus, Pothinus was born around

1107-660: The memorial is within the season of Lent that year, it is reduced in rank to a commemoration. In the Coptic Orthodox Church, his feast day is on 29 Amshir (8 March in the Gregorian calendar ). Polycarp is remembered in the Church of England with a Lesser Festival on 23 February. He is also honored in the Lutheran Churches on 23 February. Polycarp's soteriology is not clear; he does cite Ephesians 2:8 to say salvation

1148-417: The people of Lyon would place a lit candle in the window, a custom still maintained by many residents to this day. During the festival, a choreographed lighting display appears on the façade of the cathedral. The building is 80 meters long (internally), 20 meters wide at the choir, and 32.5 meters high in the nave. The apse and choir are of Romanesque design; the nave and façade are Gothic . Noteworthy are

1189-594: The position, and the first holder of that office. By 177, a large number of the Christians in the area of Vienne and Lyons were Greeks from Asia. A violent persecution was there against them while Pothinus was bishop of Lyons, and Irenæus, who had been sent there by Polycarp out of Asia, was a priest of that city. Pothinus died at the age of ninety, around 177 AD, martyred along with Alexander , Attalus, Espagathus, Maturus , and Sanctius , during Persecution in Lyon during

1230-497: The sayings of Jesus were being preached. His role was to authenticate orthodox teachings through his connection with the apostle John: "a high value was attached to the witness Polycarp could give as to the genuine tradition of old apostolic doctrine" "his testimony condemning as offensive novelties the figments of the heretical teachers". Irenaeus states (iii. 3) that on Polycarp's visit to Rome, his testimony converted many disciples of Marcion and Valentinus. The Martyrdom of Polycarp

1271-619: The site of the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste . In 1245, the cathedral hosted the First Council of Lyon . In 1819 J. M. W. Turner sketched a study of the cathedral as seen from the heights of the Fourvière Hill. Edgar Degas used the cathedral for the setting of his painting "Ceremony of Ordination at Lyon Cathedral." Each December, Lyon holds an annual Festival of Lights. The tradition dates to 1643, when on 8 December

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1312-401: The teachings of Marcion , claiming he was the firstborn of Satan . Polycarp's statements in the Martyrdom of Polycarp also appear to have trinitarian theology. What we know of Polycarp's eschatology is largely confined to the affirmation of the resurrection of the dead and Christ's second coming as a judge. Polycarp was perhaps a premillennialist ; Polycarp's student Irenaeus was

1353-461: The tenure of Emperor Marcus Aurelius . Pothinus and several companions were seized by a mob and taken to the magistrate; Pothinus is believed to have died from the abuse he suffered in prison, while the others were killed by wild beasts in the local amphitheater . The similarity of the name Pothinus and the Old French verb foutre lead to syncretic amalgamation of Pothinus and Priapus , under

1394-467: The time his fellow Syrian Anicetus was Bishop of Rome , Polycarp visited Rome to discuss differences in the practices of the churches of Asia and Rome. Irenaeus states that on certain things the two speedily came to an understanding, while as to the observance of the New Covenant Passover, each adhered to his own custom, without breaking off full communion with the other. Polycarp followed

1435-656: The two crosses to right and left of the altar, preserved since the Second Council of Lyon of 1274 as a symbol of the union of the churches, and the Bourbon chapel, built by the Cardinal Charles II, Duke of Bourbon , and his brother Pierre de Bourbon , son-in-law of Louis XI , a masterpiece of 15th century sculpture. The cathedral also has the Lyon Astronomical Clock from the 14th century. The cathedral organ

1476-445: The words he had heard from their mouths. In particular, he heard the account of Polycarp's discussion with John and with others who had seen Jesus . Irenaeus reports that Polycarp was converted to Christianity by apostles, was consecrated a presbyter, and communicated with many who had seen Jesus. He writes that he had had the good fortune, when young, to know Polycarp, who was then far advanced in years. According to Irenaeus, during

1517-411: The year 87, probably at Smyrna . He was a disciple of Polycarp , bishop of Smyrna, and accompanied him to Rome in 158. Pope Anicetus sent him to evangelize the Gauls. Pothinus established himself at Lyons, and founded there a flourishing Church, over which he presided for almost twenty years. In asserting his own authority as bishop of Lyon , Irenaeus says that Pothinus had been his predecessor in

1558-529: Was a "disciple of the apostle John and by him ordained presbyter of Smyrna". He was an elder of an important congregation that was a large contributor to the founding of the Christian Church. He is from an era whose orthodoxy is accepted alongside Catholics by the ancient Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches, and widely also by mainstream Protestants, Church of God groups, Sabbatarians . According to Eusebius, Polycrates of Ephesus cited

1599-456: Was built by Daublaine and Callinet and was installed in 1841 at the end of the apse and had 15 stops. It was rebuilt in 1875 by Merklin-Schütze and given 30 stops, three keyboards of 54 notes and pedals for 27. Until the construction of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière , it was the pre-eminent church in Lyon. Renowned organist Edouard Commette served as the resident organist for most of

1640-472: Was stolen on 14 March 2013 and never recovered; however, a fragment, taken from the arm on a previous occasion, was discovered and returned to the monastery on 14 July 2019. In the Roman Catholic , Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches, the feast day of Saint Polycarp is 23 February . In the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar , the feast day has the liturgical rank of obligatory memorial, but if

1681-626: Was taken on the Sabbath and killed on "the Great Sabbath ". English patristic scholar William Cave (1637–1713) believed that this was evidence that the Smyrnaeans under Polycarp observed the seventh-day Sabbath, i.e. assembled on Saturdays . J. B. Lightfoot records as a common interpretation of the expression "the Great Sabbath" to refer to Pesach or another Jewish festival. This is contradicted by

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