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Constantine the Great

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Was Constantine a Christian?
[[Image:Constantine.jpg|left|thumb|A mosaic image of Constantine the Great from the [[Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)]].]]
===Was Controversies surrounding Constantine a Christian?'s Faith===The religion of Constantine the Great, while generally assumed to be Christian in view of his pro-Christian policies, is disputed by some secular historians, however the Church from the earliest times has considered him to be a devout Orthodox Christian.
As One aspect of Constantine's life that secular historians use to indicate Constantine's incomplete acceptance of Christianity (from a modern view) was his notorious cruelty: he executed his own wife and eldest son in 326. He also had [[Licinius]], the East Roman emperor, Constantine is strangled after his defeat, something he had publicly promised not completely unassociated with paganismto do. It should be noted, however, that Constantine's wife attempted to seduce Constantine's son (her step-son) and there is some controversy over when he refused her advances, she accused him of raping her. The penalty for doing this to an Empress was death, as was any act considered to be treason. Later, St. Constantine discovered the vision which historical orthodoxy accepted as truth and had his conversionwife executed. Licinius, demurring that it was pagan in contenthis bitter hatred of Constantine and of Christianity, began to persecute the Church in the Eastern half of the Empire. Constantine eventually could not Christianstand Licinius' cruelty and relieved him of his co-rulership of the Empire.
Another aspect of There is much controversy surrounding Constantine 's baptism. Secular historians and also some modern Orthodox teachers teach that might indicate an incomplete acceptance St. Constantine received baptism on his deathbed by Eusebius of Christianity (from Nicomedia, which is inaccurate. The Orthodox Church teaches that St. Constantine, becoming ill with leprosy, received a modern view) was his notorious cruelty: he executed his own wife vision of Sts. Peter and eldest son Paul, who told him to seek out Bishop Sylvester of Rome who would cure him. St. Sylvester instructed Constantine in 326 for unknown reasons. He also had [[Licinius]], the East Roman emperorOrthodox faith and baptized him, strangled after which also cured him of his defeat, something he had publicly promised not to doleprosy.
Family influence is sometimes adduced to account for a personal adoption of Christianity: [[Helen]] in this agenda is said to be "probably born a Christian" though virtually nothing is known of her backgroundConstantine died at age 65, save that her mother was the daughter of an innkeeper and her father a successful soldier, a career that excluded overt Christians. Certainly [[Helen]] demonstrated extreme piety in her later life in her trip to Palestine, where she discovered the [[True Cross]] and established basilicas. As the general custom, Constantine was not [[baptism|baptized]] until close to his death, when his choice fell upon the Arian bishop [[Eusebius of Nicomedia]]. However, in the [[Church]] teaches that the efficacy of the sacrament is not dependent upon the sanctity of the celebrant. The Church considers Constantine a saintyear 337.
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