Saint Hilary, Bishop, Doctor

Hilary was born in the beginning of the 4th century at Pictavium, Gaul (modern-day Poitiers, France) to wealthy pagan parents. He married early in life and had a daughter Saint Abra. After receiving a thorough education in Greek and Latin classics, he became an orator. He studied the Old and New Testament writings and at the age of about 35, he rejected his Neo-Platonism and became a Christian through a long process of study and thought. In 353 he received the sacrament of baptism along with his wife and his daughter.

So great was the respect in which he was held by the citizens of Poitiers that he was elected bishop, although still a married man (clerical celibacy was not required by the church until the late Middle Ages). Hilary is the first Bishop in that region of whom we have authentic information, he became an outspoken champion of orthodoxy against the Arians heresy (A heresy that denied the divinity of Jesus Christ). St Augustine praised him as "the illustrious teacher of the churches." St Jerome wrote that Hilary was "a most eloquent man, and the trumpet of the Latins against the Arians." Hilary acquired the name "Athanasius of the West."

Almost immediately upon assuming the office of bishop, St Hilary became active in the debate over the Trinity then dividing the church. At that time, the defenders of the Council of Nicaea suffered official disfavour: Emperor Constantius, son and successor of Constantine the Great, supported the pro-Arian bishops. Hilary refused the emperor’s demand to sign a condemnation of Athanasius, whereupon Constantius exiled him to Phyrgia. Hilary made good use of his time in exile. He met with Greek-speaking church leaders and theologians and wrote important works on church doctrine. While in exile, St Hilary publicly and forcefully defended Nicene orthodoxy at church synods and councils in 356 and 359. The emperor decided that Hilary was causing too much trouble for Arians in the eastern church and so in 360 ordered him to return from exile to Poitiers. He was received back home in Gaul with great rejoicing and thanksgiving. When Constantius died in 361, official support for Arianism ended. Hilary's eloquent defence of orthodoxy was decisive in removing or converting remaining Arian bishops, and he is recognised for the great achievement of restoring order to the church of his time.

His most celebrated book is On the Trinity, a twelve-volume work written in 359 and 360, in which Hilary refuted Arianism by proving the consubstantiality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (De trinitate libri XII). Quoting St. Hilary: "For one to attempt to speak of God in terms more precise than he himself has used: -- to undertake such a thing is to embark upon the boundless, to dare the incomprehensible. He fixed the names of His nature: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Whatever is sought over and above this is beyond the meaning of words, beyond the limits of perception, beyond the embrace of understanding."

St Hilary believed that the only way to learn about God was through adoration and devotion. God must be approached with a devout mind. True knowledge of God comes only through thinking with understanding formed by piety. Theology therefore requires the warmth of faith. He began writing hymns after seeing that Arians used hymns to spread their false doctrines. Deciding that orthodox Christians should popularise their beliefs in the same way, he became the first Latin hymn-writer of the Church.

St. Hilary died in the year 368 and was raised to the rank of Doctor of the Church in the year 1851 by Pope Pius IX.


Honored in :- Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church, Oriental Orthodoxy

Canonized :- Pre-Congregation

Feast :- January 13, January 14 (in some local calendars and pre-1970 General Roman Calendar)



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