#74.12 Thursday, November 27, 2025

Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E.
 

         Bede’s book unwinds with the story I came here to understand. When Bishop Aiden, the founder of Lindisfarne died, his successor was Finan ^{[651 C.E.]}   also “consecrated and sent by the Irish.” Finan constructed the church at Lindisfarne in the Irish method of oak and thatching. The Roman way would have been with stone. So later, Bishop Eadberht ^{[688 C.E.]} had the whole church, roof and walls, everything, covered with sheets of lead. (Now the new main building there is of stone.) You would think everything done in the Irish way was done away with, but no. Bede writes, “There arose a great and active controversy about the keeping of Easter. Those who came from Kent or Gaul declared that the Irish observance of Easter Sunday was contrary to the custom of the universal church.”

         Bede calls Ronan a “violent defender of the true Easter, who, though Irish by race, had learned the true rules of the church in Gaul or in Italy. In disputing with Finan, Ronan “put many right, but could not put Finan right; on the contrary, as a man of fierce temper, Ronan made him more bitter… and turned him into an open adversary.” ^{[Footnote 1]}

         This history lists bishops and monks, kings and nobility of East Anglia, and Northumbria, all struggling with the problem of two dates for Easter.

         A synod was called to decide this issue once and for all. This was at a monastery at Whitby where Hild was abbess. Bede called her a “woman of God.” What else is known of her is that she was of noble birth, and was guided in her faith by Irish Aiden, who ordained her as abbess. The list of church dignitaries attending the synod included the Irish. They were represented not only by Hild and her following, but by Bishop Colman of Lindisfarne and his clergy. But as I know from seeing this same issue in an earlier time, it isn’t resolved by allowing each his own way. In Roman style, it can only be one way in the end. So it seems the random strays from another Island are always just pitted against the pope.

         “First King Oswiu began by declaring that it was fitting that those who served one God should observe one rule of life and not differ in the celebration of the heavenly sacrament seeing that they all hoped for one kingdom in heaven: they ought therefore to inquire as to which was the truer tradition and then follow it together.” ^{[Footnote 2]}

         There wasn’t really room for compromise.

^{Footnote 1: Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People Oxford World’s Classics 1969.  Pages 154-157.}

^{Timeline https://www.angelcynnreenactmentsociety.org.uk/home/lindisfarne-pages/bishops-of-lindisfarne—list (the lack of info, even A-I assisted Google, affirms the footnote on p. 397, “little is known of this Ronan.”) Retrieved 5-25-25}

^{Footnote 2: oop. cit. Bede p. 154.}

(Continues Tuesday, December 2)