Julius I

Came from an indigenous Roman family; He was elected head of the Roman Church in 337, died in 352. He had to act in an era when Christianity , which had just freed itself from persecution by the pagan state, was itself torn by a fierce struggle between faith and Arianism or teachings close to it. The one of the sons of Constantine the Great who inherited the East - Constantius - openly supported the religious doctrine condemned by the Council of Nicaea , although in a softened form. Supporters of the Nicene confession found refuge in the West. In the Roman Church, the tradition was established from the beginning on the side of dogma on the side of the middle, most widespread opinion, that is, to sanction universally recognized faith. In this case, such a tendency was reinforced with a special force by the desire of the popes to proclaim, as the main dogma , the divinity of Jesus Christ and his equality with God the Father. True to the direction of his predecessors, Julius I graciously received the seeker of refuge in Rome, the main zealot of the faith, Athanasius of Alexandria .

In 340, the Council of Western Bishops who came to Rome (the pope in vain invited the Eastern hierarchs, moderate Arians, supporters of Eusebius of Nicomedia) , recognized the accusations raised against Athanasius, as well as against Marcellus of Ankirsky , unfounded. Julius I addressed the bishops of the eastern part of the empire with a message in which he energetically defended the right of the council, convened in Rome by the pope, to judge religious matters.

The sentence of the Roman Council of 340 was confirmed in 343 at another general congress of the higher clergy, assembled with the consent of Constantius. The majority here, however, was composed of Western bishops: many Eastern (Arians of various shades), dissatisfied with the presence of Athanasius deposed at their insistence, avoided participating in the meetings. Hosea, bishop of Cordub , a well-known defender of the Nicene creed, suggested at the council that, in special honor of the Apostle Peter (whom the current tradition had directly called the founder of the Roman church) and in respect for Pope Julius, the right to accept appeals against the throne should be granted for the future decisions of all provincial episcopal synods that sentenced anyone to deprivation of episcopal rank. The pope should have had the right to approve or annul such sentences and, in the latter case, convene a special tribunal from the bishops of a neighboring province, partially appointed by the choice of the pope, to reconsider the process. This tribunal was to be judged in the presence of the observer legate sent by the pope. Hosea's proposal was accepted by most members of the Sardinian Council , but the eastern bishops, retiring to Philippopolis , protested and even declared Julius and Hosea deposed. When, due to the changed mood of Constance, the episcopal dignity was returned to Athanasius, Julius I sent a message to the inhabitants of Alexandria , praising them for their loyalty to the true shepherd. Thus, during the reign of Julius I of the Roman Church, the first conflict occurred between the eastern and western clergy. For his strict life and firmness in upholding the primacy of Rome, as well as for decorating the city with new churches, Julius I was subsequently ranked as a saint (his memory is celebrated on April 12).

• Grevs I.M. Julius, popes // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.