Hilary bishop and doctor of the Church (315–368)

Biography

He was educated in Bordeaux. He acquired fame as a stylist and philosopher of excellent qualities. He married very young and lived exclusively dedicated to his studies, enjoying, with his wife and daughter, the peaceful life of a provincial nobleman. Under these circumstances his conversion took place. His classical culture, the reading of the Holy Scripture, first of the Old Testament, then of the Gospel of Saint John, opened new perspectives to his soul, thirsty for the Truth. Hilarion did not oppose the grace of God. He converted to Christianity and tried to practice the principles of Christian life with his family. Due to his character and aptitudes, he was elected Bishop and accepted the position with extraordinary responsibility. He devoted himself to biblical studies and as a result of them, he wrote an explanation of the Gospel of Saint Matthew. His prestige put him at the head of the Gallic Episcopate and he undertook a relentless fight against the Arians. The Emperor, Constantius II, who was then trying to Arianize the West, banished him to Asia Minor and in Phrygia, Hilary wrote his masterpiece of Catholic Theology on the Divine Trinity. He died in 367 and was called, by Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome: "Powerful defender of the rights of the Church." Pope Pius XI, in 1851, enriched him with the title of Doctor of the Church.