St. Ignatius of Antioch - Letter to the Smyrnaeans

"Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." 

The letters of St. Ignatius give witness to many of the early Church’s beliefs and practices. In this letter to the Church in Smyrna, Ignatius attests to Jesus’ true humanity and true divinity, His real presence in the Eucharist, and the universal hierarchy of bishop, priest, and deacon. The letter is also notable for containing the first recorded use of the term Catholic Church.

Translation courtesy of Catholic University of America Press: https://www.hfsbooks.com/books/the-apostolic-fathers-walsh-grimm-marique/

Alternate Translation at CatholicCulture.org: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1633

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