The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-29

to these Christians absolute liber-
ty to profess their religion.
And what we grant to them,
you must understand that we
grant to others, who shall have
liberty to select and follow the
worship of our times, so that no
one shall be injured in his honor
or in his religion.
This was the first Magma Charta
of religious federation given to
the Christian Church. The pur-
pose which Constantine the Great
had in promulgating it is sum-
med up as follows by Patrick j.
Healy, in the February number
of the Catholic University Bulle-
tin:
"The obvious purpose of the
Emperor Constantine in publish
ing the Edict of federation in the
year 313 was to remove the antago-
nism which had so long existed
between the Christian Church and
the Roman State. In this he sue
ceeded. With the exception of
the short period in which Maxim
mus continued the persecution in
the Orient, and the futile efforts
of Licinius and Julian the Apost-
ate to revive the methods of pro-
scription, the Christians were
henceforth unmolested. They were
at liberty to worship God, to carry
on their liturgical observance and
to inculcate and practice the doc
trines of their religion. Pagan
ism, however, was not extinct. It
fingered ON as the religion of
dwindling groups of votaries, or
survived in the customs and in
situations of the people, or as the
animating spirit Of much of their
Jurisprudence. It no longer pos
sessed the support Of the state,
nor was it upheld at the point of
the sword. A new era had opened
up. The abandonment Of heather
practices was not looked on by
the imperial authorities as an act
of disloyalty or treason. Patriot
ism and paganism had ceased to
be synonymous. Though Christ
ianity and heathenism remained
bitterly antagonistic, that antago-
nism could not, under the de-
cree of Constantine, lead to the
shedding Of Christian blood.
Liberty in matters Of religion
was the burden of Constantine s
legislation. y Hencefor-
ward a citizen was under no
obligation to accept his religion
from the state, nor was the civil
power committed to the mainte-
nance of any creed. An important
principle was triumphant; but
the cause Of contention was not
finally and definitely removed.
The Church had successfully
indicated it's claim to be univer-
sal y = y Another point involved
in the Edict Of Constantine scarce
ly of less Importance than the first
and closely connected with it, was
that concerning individual liberty.
On the subject of the relation of
the individual to society there is
still ample ground for discussion
The manner in which the matter
is dealt with in the decree is
worthy of notice, because it was
the first time in history that a
great nation went on record as
being committed in any way to
the doctrine Of Individual free.
dom. Expressed in modern terms
concessions were made to the in.
dividual at the cost Of form OF
social organization which may be
described as collectivist. y
"The Edict Of Constantine did
not define the relations Of Church
and State; it simply made possible
the discussion of such question
It was a remuneration of the claim
to absolute control Of the individ
ual, and a surrender Of the col.
lectivist idea of the state. Viewed
from the side Of the Church this
change of attitude on the part OF
a Roman Emperor was an admis
sion of her Catholicity and her in
dependence.
"The change in the organic law
Of Rome brought about by the
Edict of Milan soon made itself
felt in legislation. Religious lib
erty did not remain dead letter
The enhanced value of human life
which it implied produced legaI
changes which took the edge of
the most oppressive features Of
the old code. There was no sweep
ing transformation. It is doubt
full whether such would have beer
desirable or feasible. Paganism
was still the religion Of large mas
ses, especially Of the most favored
class, and as their views of Law
and legal ethics were still bounC
. up with their religion, any attemp
to enforce Christian standards
on them would have the appear
ance of RELIGIOUS persecution anC