View Full Version : The Tragedy of the Celtic Church

07-10-2009, 07:59 PM
It begins when the Roman Catholics Withdraw from England. Christianity first reaches the Shores of England, like it did everywhere over the entire Roman World, when the State run by Constentine Became Christian, and decided to take the Early Church as State Religion.

Three Centuries had past since the Birth of Christ, and the Roman Empire was about as Large as it was ever going to get. It had a foothold in England. So when in order to save a large land mass, and to unify a set of believifs, in 312AD Constentine declaired himself a Christian...and thus the whole Empire was to follow Christ also.

Whilst the Empire Fragmented into two, and various later leaders tried to reverse Constantine, in terms of mainland Europe, it was Far to late. Christ had entered and was not about to retreat. But by the late 300s the Empire had lost its grip on England.

With the loss of the Empire came the loss of everything the Empire had brought with it. People forgot how to build, they forgot how to write, they forgot how to read, and they forgot Christianity. They were also invaded by the Saxons. Thus England fell back into Paganism again.

It remained in Ireland thanks to Saint Patrick, who wasnt exactly sent from Rome, he was simply one of the last Roman Catholics around before the Empire collapsed. After being held as a Slave in Ireland, he joined the church and returned to Ireland keeping the Faith alive whilst it died back home thanks to Roman Withdrawal.

About one Hundred years later Saint Columba, born in Ireland, a product of Saint Patricks legacy (a freezedried snapshot of Rome right towards the start of tha papacy) Set up the First of two "Holy" Islands off the coast of the United Kingdom. The first, off the western Seaboard of Scotland was called Iona. It acted as a base for the Celtic Church. It promoted a system of independant Monastic Communities...much like the Early Church previous to Romanization. Lots of independant Churches connected by Missionaries. (Rome was meanwhilst developing a Centralized form of Government) Now the Romans had been unable to conqure Scotland because of a Kingdom in the South known as "Pictland" The Romans built a huge wall like the chinese, from coast to coast to keep the Picts away from England. Columba however marched on the Pict Capital from Iona (A TINY Island) when he arrived. The Pagans closed the huge doors to the city and armed themselves. Stopping outside the gates Saint Columba ordered in the name of GOD by the power of the cross that the Gates opened...and much to the shock of the Picts...the Doors behaved as commanded. This led to the King of the Picts converting...and within the century, the entire mass of Pictland became Christianized.

In 604AD England was divided into three main Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Northumbria in the North. The Kingdom of Mercia in the midlands...and the Kingdom of Wessex in the South. An Envoy arrived from The Pope in Rome, with the mission to re-convert the British Isles, in the form of the Famous Saint Augustine. They succeeded in Converting Wessex but could get no further north then Saint Paul's Cathedral :laugh:

In Northumbria Christianity had nearly taken Root once more. The Envoy was Greeted by King Edwin. Romanism was then Embraced momentarily...before Pendar, the ruller of Mercia attacked. Edwin was Killed, and those who were Christian escaped through Mercia to safe ground in Wessex.

Oswald, meanwhile had fled towards Ireland and stumbled upon Iona. He returned To Northumbria but was unable to convert the people, so he called upon Iona for help. The first Bishop came, and decided it was an impossible task so left. The second Bishop came whose name was Aiden.

Aiden with an entourage from the Celtic Church who set up a second "Holy" Island called Lindesfarne, off the coast of North East England. Over time the Region became Christianized.

then the King of Mercia died and the Roman Catholics advanced North through Mercia.

Then you had...a problem. It turns out that the Old Rome of Constantine, and the Newer Rome, did not aggree on a number of things. The Old Rome paid no particularl homage to Marion doxology, it believed in autonomy of Monastic communities...and it celebrated Easter at a different time.

The two peacefully co-existed until a friendship was formed between law makers in the Celtic Tradition, and Rome. King Oswald, of the Celtic Tradition, married a Woman of the Roman Tradition...and then they started having difficulties. Most notably over Easter. Most notebly because Sex was banned during Lent...and so King Oswald felt he was left gagging for it a week longer then needed because he had to wait for His Wife to finish Holy week before he could have Bedroom entertainment again :rolleyes:

In 660AD King Oswald summoned a "Synod" The British had already been represented before Rome in two Synods, from the Celtic Position. They completely dissagreed with Rome, her habits, her hearesies, her Government...the whole sherbang. The Synod was held in the infamous Whitby Abbey...the same one that stands high and imposing on the cliff, and the same one mentioned in the original Dracula by Bram Stoker!!

The King had to make a choice. Choose to stay with his past, the Celtic Church who had first brought wealth and Christianity to Him and His people after Edwin. The legacy of Aiden (who had since died and was replaced by Coleman) Or Rome. Now Rome had far more power then the Celtic Church, they also had better...well...better everything.

Oswald filed for Rome. Coleman and his people were so unhappy and dissapointed they left Lindesfarne Island never to return again and retreated back to Iona.

The Roman Catholic Church took the whole of England.

Then the Vikings arrived and wiped out the Celtic stronghold of Iona.

The Roman Catholics moved into the void and claimed Ireland.

...THE END :cry:

07-10-2009, 08:23 PM
Actually when I was stationed in England I made a trip to Iona. I studied celtic Christianity a bit myself. It was wonderful. And, I got to see my ancestral town of Oban. That's where my Great great great great great grandparents were from. :wink:

07-10-2009, 09:02 PM
:w00t: I Visited Oban on my Tour of South Scotland before the tern of the last century. Its the crossing point to the Island of Mull, which you have to cross to get to the second Island out from the coast...which is Iona. You know, that you and I are both Scot Nobility in terms of our Bloodline. MacDuff being...slightly closer to the Scot King, My Clan was given quite a portion of land in the middle part of Scotland..never been to see it. The British Crown stole my land when the Scot Throne was absorbed into the eather so to speak.

I too have been to Iona, and visited the little abbey there

I have never been to Lindesfarne...even though that actually geographically must be a lot closer to me. I've been to Whitby to see the Abbey...not much of it left, not really enough for a full day trip, but worth the climb to see the seaview from the cliff edge

I've done a little research into the Early Historian based near Durham called "Bede" he's how we know everything I put down. He knew about King Edwin, and about King Oswald, and about Saint Aidan...I think Saint Columba was a bit before his time though :laugh: I also know a little about Pendar the evil ruller of Mercia :ninja: