Saint Athanasius the Great (296-373) was the bishop of Alexandria. He is remembered for one specific thing: he refused to bend. He fought against Arianism. (The belief that Jesus was subordinate to God the Father, created rather than co-eternal and of the same essence.) Now, at the time, this wasn’t a fringe view: much of the Church hierarchy leaned toward compromise. Emperors backed it, the power structure favored it, and so the pressure to conform was immense. Athanasius said no. He was exiled five times by successive emperors. Each time he returned and continued defending what he believed to be the apostolic faith. That is where "Athanasius contra mundum" comes from - Athanasius against the world. In the end, his position prevailed. The Nicene Creed ("Wierzę w Boga" for Polish readers) is recited in churches to this day. #athanasius #atanazy