About this episode

This episode covers the transition from the persecution of Christians to the internal conflicts of the Church during the Arian Crisis, focusing on popes #33-35.

The widespread persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire was finally over for good, beginning the "Peace of the Church". But the "Peace" could only be so peaceful, as internal dissension took the place of external foes, in the form of the Arian Crisis. This episode covers popes #33-35: Sts. Sylvester I, Mark, and Julius I. Links Way of the Fathers episodes: Council of Nicaea https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/22-council-nicaea-first-and-foremost/ Arianism https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/411-heresies-arianism-man-who-became-god/ St. Athanasius https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ep-23athanasius-against-world/ SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters DONATE to make this show possible! http://catholicculture.org/donate/audio

Topics covered

• Christian persecution
• Peace of the Church
• Arian Crisis
• Papal history
• Early Christianity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CatholicCulture.org

Books & works: Arianism

More episodes of Lives of the Popes

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• They Ruled East and West · July 7, 2026 · 16 min
• Pope St. Damasus, Patron of the Latin Bible · June 23, 2026 · 13 min
• The First Non-Sainted Pope · June 8, 2026 · 18 min
• The Great Persecution · May 11, 2026 · 14 min

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