SAINT POLYCARP, Bishop and
Martyr
FEAST DAY: February 23rd
CANONIZED A SAINT: By popular
acclaim of the faithful of the Church at
Smyrna (Recognized a Saint in both the
Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
Churches)
PATRONAGE: Those who suffer earaches and dysentery
PRAYER:
God of all creation,
you gave your bishop Polycarp
the privilege of being counted among the saints
who gave their lives in faithful witness to the gospel.
May his prayers give us the courage
to share with him the cup of suffering
and to rise to eternal glory.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
SCRIPTURE READING:
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John
“Jesus said: ‘I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep. The hired hand – who is no shepherd nor owner of the sheep – catches sight of
the wolf coming and runs away, leaving the sheep to be snatched and scattered by the
wolf.”
~John 10: 11-12
OUTLINE OF TEACHING:
Saint Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna and a disciple of the apostle, Saint John, and
friend of Saint Ignatius of Antioch traveled to Rome to confer with the Pope
concerning the celebration of Easter. In the year 155, Polycarp suffered martyrdom
by burning (stabbed by a dagger) at the stake in the amphitheater at Smyrna in
modern day Turkey.
SAINT POLYCARP, BISHOP AND MARTYR
Introduction
One of the most famous known members of a
small group of early bishops known as “the
Apostolic Fathers” (those who are the immediate
disciples of the apostles) is Saint Polycarp, bishop
of Smyrna (modern day Izmir, Turkey). The
dates of Saint Polycarp’s life are open for debate,
yet generally it is thought that Polycarp was
martyred around 155. It is believed that he lived
well into his mid-80’s, thus the year of his birth
would have been around 69 or 70. We know
precious little of Polycarp’s life, yet what is known
is a window into the courage and conviction of this great martyr, whose feast day is
celebrated in both the Western and Eastern Churches on February 23rd.
Disciple and Master
It is a well known fact that Polycarp was a disciple of Saint John the Apostle and
Evangelist and could remember conversations he had had with him and with others
who had seen the Lord and could remember their words and those they had
received from the lips of Jesus. Polycarp was respected by the faithful of Smyrna to
the point of profound veneration. Polycarp himself educated many disciples of his
own, many of whom would go on to become saints in their own right. One such
disciple, Saint Irenaeus, would later become the bishop of Lyons in France and
would also receive the martyr’s crown in 200.
Orthodoxy verses Heresy
It was said of Polycarp that he was filled with the fire and passion of Christ,
constantly defending and explaining the truths of the church, in an age when heresy
knew no bounds. At the time of Polycarp a group of heresies known as Gnosticism
sprang up. The Gnostics believed that Jesus taught his apostles a “secret
knowledge” or “gnosis” that was known by only a select few. The Gnostics mingled
elements of Christianity, Judaism and Greek philosophy with their own concepts.
They taught that material things, including the body and its passions were evil;
hence they said, Christ did not have a real body. Only those who were
knowledgeable of this “secret knowledge” or “gnosis” could be saved, while the
ignorant and simple were excluded from salvation.
While in Rome, Saint Polycarp happened upon one of the early founders of
Gnosticism, the heretic Marcion, in the streets. Marcion was expecting Polycarp to
recognize him and greet him in the streets. Polycarp just kept right on walking past
until Marcion called out to him; “Do not you know me?” “Yes” answered the saint,
“I know you, the first-born of Satan.” Polycarp had learned the abhorrence of those
who adulterate the divine truth from his master, Saint John the Apostle.
Holy Brotherhood
Polycarp was a very close friend to Saint Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch in Syria,
who would in the year 107 receive the martyr’s crown by being thrown to wild
animals. While on his way to Rome to be executed Ignatius wrote seven letters to
different churches. In these letters, filled with wisdom, he discussed Christ, the
structure of the Church and the Christian life. Polycarp kissed the chains of Saint
Ignatius when he passed by Smyrna on his way to Rome. For his part, Ignatius
recommended to him the care of his church in Antioch. Ignatius also requested of
Polycarp to write in his name to the churches of Asia that he was unable to write to
himself.
Meeting with Pope Anicetus
On another journey to Rome, Saint Polycarp visited Pope Anicetus, a fellow
Syrian sometime in early 154 in order to discuss with the Bishop of Rome the
observance of Easter. Polycarp observed the eastern practice of celebrating
Passover on the 14th of Nisan (Jewish calendar), the day of the Jewish Passover,
regardless of what day of the week it fell. Pope Anicetus demanded that Easter
would always be celebrated on a Sunday. Even though they disagreed, Pope
Anicetus begged Polycarp to celebrate Mass in his papal church, which was a
tremendous honor and show of unity between west and east.
Polycarp Tells His Persecutors to “Bring it on!”
The sole surviving written work of Saint
Polycarp is his Letters to the Philippians, a mosaic
of references to the New Testament. It and an
account of the Martyrdom of Saint Polycarp take the
form of a circular letter from the church of Smyrna
to the churches of Pontus. The Martyrdom is
considered the earliest genuine account of a
Christian martyrdom, and one of the very few
genuine accounts from the actual age of the
persecutions.
When persecution broke out in Smyrna against
the Christians, he hid away for three days against
his own wishes. When Polycarp heard his pursuers
at the door, it is reported that he said “The Will of God be done;” and meeting
them, he begged to be left alone in order to pray. Before he set off to pray, Polycarp
made sure that those who came to take him away, first had something to eat.
Polycarp was eventually led to the proconsul at Smyrna and was ordered to stand
before him. The following exchange is reported to have taken place. “Insisting that
Polycarp deny his faith in Christ, the proconsul threatened: ‘I have wild beasts.’ ‘Call
for them,’ replied the saint, ‘for we are unalterably resolved not to change from good to
evil. It is only right to pass from evil to good.’ The proconsul said, ‘If you despise the
beasts, I will cause you to be consumed by fire.’ Polycarp answered, ‘You threaten me
with a fire which burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are
ignorant of the judgment to come and of the fire of everlasting punishment which is
prepared for the wicked. Why do you delay? Bring against me what you please.’” It is
said that Polycarp exuded a joy and confidence and his face shone with a certain
heavenly grace, insomuch that the proconsul himself was struck with admiration.
The following reading, is the account of the martyrdom of Saint Polycarp.
READING
A reading from a letter by the Church of Smyrna on the
martyrdom of Saint Polycarp
When the pyre was ready, Polycarp took off all his outer
clothes and loosened his under-garment. He made an effort
also to remove his shoes, though he had been unaccustomed
to this, for the faithful always vied with each other in their
haste to touch his body. Even before his martyrdom he had
received every mark of honor in tribute to his holiness.
There and then he was surrounded by the material for
the pyre. When they tried to fasten him also with nails, he
said: “Leave me as I am. The one who gives me strength to
endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on the pyre, even without
the precaution of your nails.” So they did not fix him to the pyre with nails but only
fastened him instead. Bound as he was, with hands behind his back, he stood like a
mighty ram, chosen out for sacrifice from a great flock, a worthy victim made ready
to be offered to God.
Looking up to heaven, he said: “Lord, almighty God, Father of your beloved and
blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have come to the knowledge of yourself,
God of angels, of powers, of all creation, of all the race of saints who live in your
sight, I bless you for judging me worthy of this day, this hour, so that in the
company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ, your anointed one, and so
rise again to eternal life in soul and body through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
“I praise you for all things, I bless you, I glorify you through the eternal priest of
heaven, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him be glory to you, together with
him and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.”
When he had said “Amen” and finished the prayer, the officials at the pyre lit it.
But, when a great flame burst out, those of us privileged to see it witnessed a strange
and wonderful thing. Like a ship’s sail swelling in the wind, the flame became as it
were a dome encircling the martyr’s body. Surrounded by the fire, his body was
like bread that is baked, or gold and silver white-hot in a furnace, not like flesh that
has been burnt. So sweet a fragrance came to us that it was like that of burning
incense or some other costly sweet-smelling gum.
Post-script
As Saint Polycarp did indeed not die by fire, he was stabbed to death with a
dagger. His body was later burned and the remains of bones and ashes were given
to his followers who venerated the relics and laid them to rest, where they were able
to celebrate the birthday of the new martyr.
“Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow
the example of the Lord, ‘firm and unchangeable in
faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each other,
united in truth, helping each other with the mildness
of the Lord, despising no man.”
Saint Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians