HILARY
349
HILARY
visits to St. Peter's, the pope openly called him to
account for his favourite's conduct, exhorting him
by the grave of St. Peter to promise that he would do
ail in his power to check the evil. Hilarus erected
several chiu-ches and other buildings in Rome. Two
oratories in the baptistery of the Lateran, one in
honour of St. John the Baptist, the other of St. John
the Apostle, are due to him. After his flight from the
" Robber Synod " of Ephesus, Hilarus had hidden
himself in the crypt of St. John the Apostle, and he
attributed his deliverance to the intercession of the
Apostle. Over the ancient doors of the oratory this
inscription is still to be seen: " To St. John the Evan-
gelist, the liberator of Bishop Hilarus, a Servant of
Christ". He also erected a chapel of the Holy Cross
in the baptistery, a convent, two public baths, and
libraries near the church of St. Laurence Outside
the Walls. He built another convent within the city
walls. The "Liber Pontificalis" mentions many vo-
tive offerings made by Hilarus in the different
churches. He died after a pontificate of six years,
three months, and ten days. He was buried in the
church of St. Laurence Outside the Walls. His feast
day is celebrated on 17 November.
Episiolce Romanorum Ponlificum, ed. Thiel. I (Braunsberg, 1S68), 126-74; Jaffe, Regesla Rom. Pont., I (2nd ed., Leipzig, 1885), lo-ll; Liber PontLficalis, ed. Duchesne, I, 242 sqq.; ed. MoMMSEN, I, 107 sqq.; Hefele, Conciliengeschichte, 2nd ed., II, passim; Grisar, Gescliichte Roms und der Papste im Mitlelalter, I (Freiburg im Br., 1901), passim; Langen, Ge- 8chichte der rumischen Kirche, II (Bonn, 1885), 113 sqq.
J. P. KiRSCH.
Hilary of Aries, Saint, archbishop, b. about 401; d. 5 May, -iVJ. The exact place of his birth is not known. All that may be said is that he belonged to a notaljle family of Northern Gaul, of which in all probability al.so came St. Honoratus, his predecessor in the See of Aries. Learned and rich, Hilary had everything calculated to ensure success in the world, but he abandoned honours and riches at the urgent solicitations of Honoratus, acconijianied him to the hermitage of Lerins, which the latter had founded, and gave himself up under the saint's direction to the practice of austerities and the study of Holy Scripture. When Honoratus, who had meanwhile become Arch- bishop of Aries, was at the point of death, Hilary went to his side and assisted at his latest moments. But as he was about to set out on his return to Ldrins he was retained by force and proclaimed archbishop in the place of Honoratus. Obliged to yield to this con- straint, he resolutely undertook the duties of his heavy charge, and assisted at the various councils held at Riez, Orange, Vaison, and Aries.
Subsequently began between him and Pope St. Leo the famous quarrel which constitutes one of the most curious phases of the history of the Gallican Church. A reunion of bishops, over which he presided in 444 and at which were present St. Eueherius of Lyons and St. Germain of Au.xerre, deposed for incapacity pro- vided against by the canons a certain Cheldonius. The latter hastened to Rome, was successful in plead- ing his cause before the pope, and consequently was reinstated in his see. Hilary then sought St. Leo in order to justify his course of action in the matter, but he was not well received by the sovereign pontiff and was obliged to return precipitately to Gaul. Several priests afterwards sent by him to Rome to explain his conduct met with no better success. Moreover, several persons who were hostile towards him pro- fited by this juncture to bring various accusations against him at the Court of Rome, whereupon the pope excommunicated Hilary, transferred the pre- rogatives of his see to that of Fr<;jvis, and caused the proclamation by the Emperor Valenfinian III of that famous decree which freed the Church of Vienne from all dependence on that of Aries. Nevertheless there is every reason to believe that, the storm once passed, peace was rapidly restored between Hilary and Leo.
We are too far removed from the epoch in which this
memorable quarrel occurred, and the documents
which might throw any light on it are too few to allow
us to form a definitive judgment on its causes and
consequences. It evidently arose from the fact that
the respective rights of the Court of Rome and of the
metropolitan were not sufficiently clearly established
at that time, and that the right of appeal to the pope,
among others, was not explicitly enough recognized.
There exist a number of writings which are ascribed to
St. Hilary, but they are far from being all authentic.
Pere Quesnel collected them all in an appendix to
the work in which he has published the writings of
St. Leo.
Albanez and Chevalier, Gallia Christ, noviss. (.Aries, 1900), 29-36; Sevestre, Diet. patr. (Paris, 1854), II, 192-201; CeiI/- LIER, Hist, des auteurs eeel. (Paris, 1747), XIII, 523-538; Baronius, Ann. (1595), 445. 9-lS.
Leon Clugnet.
Hilary of Poitiers, S.\int, Bishop, b. in that city at the beginning of the fourth century; d. 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 mstructed in all the branches of pro- fane 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 faith- ful which the city had possessed since the third centuiy. 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 pow- erful in practice as either to prevent or to stop them. Arianism had made frightful ravages in various regions and threatened to invaile Gaul, where it already had numerous partisans more or less secretly affiliated with it. Saturninus, Bishop of Aries, the most active of the latter, being exposed by Hilary, convened and presided over a council at Beziers in 35(5 with the intention of justifying himself, or rather of establish- ing 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 lieing shortly afterwards denounced to the Emperor Constantius, the protector of Arianism, he was at his command transported to the distant coasts of Phiygia.
But persecution could not subdue the valiant cham- pion. 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 bisliops in the Councils of Ancyra, Antioch, and Sirmium, and while con- demning 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 re- served 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 350, the city of Seleucia wit- nessed the assembly in synod of a large number of Oriental bishops, nearly all of whom were either Anomceans or Semi-.\rians. 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 fur- nished him with post hor.ses for the journey. In presence of the Greek fathers he set forth the doctrines
