Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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MELITIAN SCHISM

A division in the Church in Egypt during the fourth century. It was started by Melitius, Bishop of Lycopolis, Egypt, who objected to the conciliatory way that St. Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria, was restoring lapsed Catholics to the Church. Another schism, by the same name, occurred in Antioch during a quarrel between two orthodox claimants to the episcopal see. St. Melitius (d. 381), who had the rightful claim, suffered exile and temporary from estrangement from Rome because of misrepresentation by his Arian opponents.