Bishop, born in that city at the beginning of the fourth century;
died there 1 November, according to the most accredited opinion, or
according to the Roman Breviary, on 13 January, 368. Belonging to a
noble and very probably pagan family, he was instructed in all the
branches of profane learning, but, having also taken up the study of
Holy Scripture and finding there the truth which he sought so ardently,
he renounced idolatry and was baptized. Thenceforth his wide learning
and his zeal for the Faith attracted such attention that he was chosen
about 350 to govern the body of the faithful which the city had
possessed since the third century. We know nothing of the bishops who
governed this society in the beginning. Hilary is the first concerning
whom we have authentic information, and this is due to the important
part he played in opposing heresy. The Church was then greatly disturbed
by internal discords, the authority of the popes not being so powerful
in practice as either to prevent or to stop them. Arianism had made
frightful ravages in various regions and threatened to invade Gaul,
where it already had numerous partisans more or less secretly affiliated
with it. Saturninus, Bishop of Arles, the most active of the latter,
being exposed by Hilary, convened and presided over a council at Béziers
in 356 with the intention of justifying himself, or rather of
establishing his false doctrine. Here the Bishop of Poitiers
courageously presented himself to defend orthodoxy, but the council,
composed for the most part of Arians, refused to hear him, and being
shortly afterwards denounced to the Emperor Constantius, the protector
of Arianism, he was at his command transported to the distant coasts of
Phrygia.
But persecution could not subdue the valiant champion. Instead of
remaining inactive during his exile he gave himself up to study,
completed certain of his works which he had begun, and wrote his
treatise on the synods. In this work he analysed the professions of
faith uttered by the Oriental bishops in the Councils of Ancyra,
Antioch, and Sirmium, and while condemning them, since they were in
substance Arian, he sought to show that sometimes the difference between
the doctrines of certain heretics and orthodox beliefs was rather in
the words than in the ideas, which led to his counselling the bishops of
the West to be reserved in their condemnation. He was sharply
reproached for his indulgence by certain ardent Catholics, the leader of
whom was Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari. However, in 359, the city of
Seleucia witnessed the assembly in synod of a large number of Oriental
bishops, nearly all of whom were either Anomoeans or Semi-Arians.
Hilary, whom everyone wished to see and hear, so great was his
reputation for learning and virtue, was invited to be present at this
assembly. The governor of the province even furnished him with post
horses for the journey. In presence of the Greek fathers he set forth
the doctrines of the Gallic bishops, and easily proved that, contrary to
the opinion current in the East, these latter were not Sabellians. Then
he took part in the violent discussions which took place between the
Semi-Arians, who inclined toward reconciliation with the Catholics, and
the Anomoeans, who formed as it were the extreme left of Arianism.
After the council, which had no result beyond the wider
separation of these brothers in enmity, he left for Constantinople, the
stronghold of heresy, to continue his battle against error. But while
the Semi-Arians, who were less numerous and less powerful, besought him
to become the intermediary in a reconciliation between themselves and
the bishops of the West, the Anomoeans, who had the immense advantage of
being upheld by the emperor, besought the latter to send back to his
own country this Gallic bishop, who, they said, sowed discord and
troubled the Orient. Constantius acceded to their desire, and the exile
was thus enabled to set out on his journey home. In 361 Hilary
re-entered Poitiers in triumph and resumed possession of his see. He was
welcomed with the liveliest joy by his flock and his brothers in the
episcopate, and was visited by Martin, his former disciple and
subsequently Bishop of Tours. The success he had achieved in his combat
against error was rendered more brilliant shortly afterwards by the
deposition of Saturninus, the Arian Bishop of Arles by whom he had been
persecuted. However, as in Italy the memory still rankled of the efforts
he had made to bring about a reconciliation between the nearly
converted Semi-Arians and the Catholics, he went in 364 to the Bishop of
Vercelli to endeavour to overcome the intolerance of the partisans of
the Bishop Lucifer mentioned above. Almost immediately afterwards, that
it might be seen that, if he was full of indulgence for those whom
gentleness might finally win from error, he was intractable towards
those who were obstinate in their adherence to it, he went to Milan,
there to assail openly Auxentius, the bishop of that city, who was a
firm defender of the Arian doctrines. But the Emperor Valentinian, who
protected the heretic, ordered Hilary to depart immediately from Milan.
He then returned to his city of Poitiers, from which he was not
again to absent himself and where he was to die. This learned and
energetic bishop had fought against error with the pen as well as in
words. The best edition of his numerous and remarkable writings is that
published by Dom Constant under the title: "Sancti Hilarii, Pictavorum
episcopi opera, ad manuscriptos codices gallicanos, romanos, belgicos,
necnon ad veteres editiones castigata" (Paris, 1693). The Latin Church
celebrates his feast on 14 January, and Pius IX raised him to the rank
of Doctor of the Universal Church. The Church of Puy glories in the
supposed possession of his relics, but according to one tradition his
body was borne to the church of St-Denys near Paris, while according to
another it was taken from the church of St-Hilaire at Poitiers and
burned by the Protestants in 1572.
BARONIUS, Ann. (1590), 355, 69-83; 358, 11-19; 360, 1-17; 362, 228-238; 369, 6-27; TILLEMONT,
Mem. pour servir a l`hist. eccles. (1700), VII, 432-469; CEILLIER,
Hist. gen. des aut. sacr. et eccles. (Paris, 1735), VI, 1-150; DUTEMS,
Clerge de France (Paris, 1774), II, 396-402; Ad. VIEHAUSER, Hilarius
Pictaviensis geschild. in seinem Kampfe gegen den Arianismus
(Klagenfurt, 1860); BARBIER, Vie de S. Hilaire, eveque de Poitiers,
docteur et pere de l`Eglise (Tours and Paris, 1882).
LEON CLUGNET (Catholic Encyclopedia)
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