Non-Violence Towards Those of Different Beliefs

Saint Martin as the “Advocate of Heretics”

Abstract

Saint Martin, renowned throughout Europe, owes his swift rise to fame primarily to his admirer and acquaintance, Sulpicius Severus, and his various writings on Martin. The letters, dialogues, and hagiography present an ascetic bishop who, in addition to his social sensitivity, dared to step into the political turmoil of his time when necessary. Martin twice travelled to the imperial court in Trier, attempting to prevent the persecution of the Priscillianists by appealing directly to the emperor, fundamentally advocating non-violent solutions. The article provides insight into the uniquely evolving relationship between state and church, as well as the bishops’ quarrels with one another in an era when Christianity was already a quasi-state religion. As a result, the emperor dealt with ecclesiastical matters as state affairs whenever it suited his interests. In the history of liturgy, Martin is also noted because the first recorded instance in the West of anointing the sick with holy oil is linked to him.