"The historical analysis is never an end for itself; it rather firmly relies on conversion and on a real token of Christian life by the believers". Those words were spoken by Benedict XVI during Wednesday’s catechesis dedicated to Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, "the first historian of Christianity", and "the greatest philologist of the old Church". His figure, explained the Pope, and the so-called "Constantinian shift", in the history of Christianity, make up almost a "zip" "between the first two centuries and the ones following the Council of Nicaea in 325, the first ecumenical council". Eusebius, born in Caesarea around 260, "participated in the Council of Nicaea, playing an important role went on the Pope -. He accepted its Credo and the statement of the full divinity of God’s Son, who, for this reason, was said to be "of the same substance" of his Father (homooúsios tõ Patrí). "In spite of the objective importance of his apologetic, exegetic and doctrinal works", thus pointed out the Pope, "the imperishable fame of Eusebius, in the first place, remains linked with the ten books of his Historia Ecclesiastica, through which he managed to rescue several events, personages and literary works of the old Church from certain oblivion". (To be continued)” ” ” “
