St. Peter Chrysologus (c. 380-c. 450) | WEST

(Updated July 16, 2025)

This Author Quote Archive collects pertinent quotes from the Church Father, St. Peter Chrysologus.

Next to each quote are the Topic Quote Archives in which they are included.

This Quote Archive is being continuously updated as research continues. Quotes marked with “***” have not yet been organized into their respective Topic Quote Archives.

Sermons

St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 57: On the Apostles’ Creed: To the Catechumens¹

• The Church Fathers Explain “Catholic”

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“The holy Catholic Church”–yes, because neither are the members separated from the head, nor the spouse from her husband. But, by such a union, the Church becomes one spirit; she becomes all things, and God is in them all. Therefore, he believes in God who acknowledges the holy Church as something united to God.

St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 58: Third Sermon on the Creed

• The Church Fathers Explain “Catholic” | §12

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(§12)²

And the holy Church, as though united to Christ, in order to be conveyed to the full glory of divinity.

St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 59: Fourth Sermon on the Creed

• The Church Fathers Explain “Catholic” | §14

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(§14)³

And the Holy Church. We also believe in the Church, 228 | 229 which we believe and profess has been received and confirmed into Christ’s glory.

St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 60: Fifth Sermon on the Creed

• The Church Fathers Explain “Catholic” | §14

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• (§14)⁴

We believe in the holy Church, which Christ took to himself in such a way as to make her a sharer in his divinity.

St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 61: On the Apostles’ Creed: To the Catechumens⁵

• The Church Fathers Explain “Catholic”

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“I believe in the Holy Church”–that you may acknowledge that the Church, the Bride of Christ, will remain in everlasting union in Him.

St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 62: Seventh Sermon on the Creed

• The Church Fathers Explain “Catholic” | §15

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(§15)⁶

In the holy Church: because the Church is in Christ, and Christ is in the Church. The one who confesses the Church has professed that he has believed in the Church.

St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 62A: Eighth Sermon on the Creed

• The Church Fathers Explain “Catholic” | §11

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(§11)⁷

The Holy Church: insofar as she herself is the Body of Christ, and her head is Christ. So we profess Christ in the Holy Church.

St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 140: The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary⁸ ***

Through the curse she incurred Eve brought pains upon the wombs of women in childbirth. Now, in this very matter of motherhood, Mary, through the blessing she received [from Gabriel], rejoices, is honored, is exalted. Now, too, womankind has become truly the mother of those who live through grace, just as previously she was the mother of those who by nature are subject to death…

She soon realized that she was receiving within herself the heavenly Judge, there in that same place where with lingering gaze she had just seen the harbinger from heaven. It was by a soothing motion and holy affection that God transformed the virgin into a mother for Himself, and made His handmaid into a parent. Nevertheless, her bosom was disturbed, her mind recoiled, and her whole state became one of trembling when God, whom the whole of creation does not contain, placed His whole Self inside her bosom and made Himself a man.

“And she kept pondering,” the Scripture continues, “what manner of greeting this might be.” Notice in your charity that, as we said, the virgin gave her consent not to a greeting of mere words, but to the realities of which they told her. Notice, too, that the salutation was not one of ordinary courtesy; rather, it contained the full might of heavenly 228 | 229 power. So she gives the matter careful thought. For, to make hasty replies is characteristic of human levity, to think deeply is the mark of the greatest constancy and of judgment fully mature. The man who sees no reason to be astonished at her attitude or to marvel at her spirit does not truly know how great God is. Before Him the vault of heaven shakes and the angels tremble. No creature bears Him up, nor can all nature bound Him. Yet this one young maiden takes Him into an inner chamber of repose, her bosom. She receives Him, and delights Him with her hospitality. Thus she gives Him a dwelling that she may request in payment, and get as the price for use of her very womb peace for the earth, glory for heaven, salvation for the lost, life for the dead, for those on earth relationship with the saints–even union of God Himself with man. She does all this, too, to fulfill the Prophet’s statement: “Behold, the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb” (Ps. 127:3).

Letters

St. Peter Chrysologus, Letter to Eutyches (448)

• The Papacy and the Invincibility of the Church | §2

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(§2)⁹

However, we give you this exhortation in regard to everything, honorable brother: obediently heed these matters which the most blessed Pope of the City of Rome has written, because blessed Peter who lives and presides in his own see proffers the truth of faith to those who seek it. 286 | 287 For, in accordance with our pursuit of peace and of faith, we cannot decide upon cases of faith without the harmonious agreement of the Bishop of Rome.

Footnotes

1. St. Peter Chrysologus and St. Valerian, George E. Ganss, S.J., trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 17: Saint Peter Chrysologus Selected Sermons; Saint Valerian Homilies (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 109. ↩︎
2. St. Peter Chrysologus, William B. Palardy, trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 109: St. Peter Chrysologus, Selected Sermons, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 224. ↩︎
3. St. Peter Chrysologus, William B. Palardy, trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 109: St. Peter Chrysologus, Selected Sermons, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 228-29. ↩︎
4. St. Peter Chrysologus, William B. Palardy, trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 109: St. Peter Chrysologus, Selected Sermons, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 236. ↩︎
5. St. Peter Chrysologus and St. Valerian, George E. Ganss, S.J., trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 17: Saint Peter Chrysologus Selected Sermons; Saint Valerian Homilies (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 114. ↩︎
6. St. Peter Chrysologus, William B. Palardy, trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 109: St. Peter Chrysologus, Selected Sermons, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 245. ↩︎
7. St. Peter Chrysologus, William B. Palardy, trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 109: St. Peter Chrysologus, Selected Sermons, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 247. ↩︎
8. St. Peter Chrysologus and St. Valerian, George E. Ganss, S.J., trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 17: Saint Peter Chrysologus Selected Sermons; Saint Valerian Homilies (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 228-29. ↩︎
9. St. Peter Chrysologus and St. Valerian, George E. Ganss, S.J., trans., The Fathers of the Church, Vol. 17: Saint Peter Chrysologus Selected Sermons; Saint Valerian Homilies (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 286-87. ↩︎