The True Catholic As Defined by Saint Vincent of Lerins

THE TRUE CATHOLIC
As defined by Saint Vincent of Lerins:

Very little is known about the details of the life of Saint Vincent or Vincentius of Lerins. This humble saint of the late 4^th to mid 5^th century AD was a Gaul (territory of modern France) who was a member of the famous monastery of Lerins on the island off the coast of southern France, known both as the isle of Lerins and the isle St. Honorat. This esteemed center of Christian spirituality and scholarship was also home to Vincent's contemporaries, Saint Honaoratus who served successively as Bishop of Arles and Faustus and also Saint Hilary, who was the pious Bishop of Poitiers. Vincent is best know for his treatise known as the "Commonitory", subtitled "For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of all Heresies", written circa 434AD. The following is an excerpt from this great work.

"..he is the true and genuine Catholic who loves the truth of God, who loves the Church, who loves the Body of Christ, who esteems divine religion and the Catholic Faith above every thing, above the authority, above the regard, above the genius, above the eloquence, above the philosophy, of every man whatsoever; who set light by all of these, and continuing steadfast and established in the faith, resolves that he will believe that, and that only, which he is sure the Catholic Church has held universally and from ancient time; but that whatsoever new and unheard-of doctrine he shall find to have been furtively introduced by some one or another, besides that of all, or contrary to that of all the saints, this, he will understand, does not pertain to religion, but is permitted as a trial, being instructed especially by the words of the blessed Apostle Paul, who writes thus in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, 'There must needs be heresies, that they who are approved may be made manifest among you:' as though he should say, This is the reason why the authors of Heresies are not forthwith rooted up by God, namely, that they who are approved may be made manifest; that is, that it maybe apparent of each individual, how tenacious and faithful and steadfast he is in his love of the Catholic faith"

St. Vincent of Lerins entered the gates of heaven on May the 24^th c. 450AD, and this is the date Church celebrates the memory and service of this humble saint.