Today being Saint Patrick’s day, I thought I would write about the historical Patrick, who is often lost in the weeds amidst fountains of green beer and reflective shamrock hats. While most of what people associate with Patrick comes from later legends, we actually have two written works that survive from his own pen. One is a ‘confession’ which is really more like a declaration of faith, as well as a bit of an autobiography. The other, which we will discuss here, is a letter of condemnation he wrote against a band of slave traders led by a man named Coroticus.
I recently returned to this letter of Patrick’s as part of my exploration of ancient and medieval symbolism. In Christian spirituality, vices (habitually destructive patterns of thought) are often personified as demons. Though Patrick’s comments on the demons proved to be sparse, his letter inspired me to reflect on the nature of systemic evil. What follows is a mixture of Patrick’s thought with my own.
In the case of Patrick and Coroticus, the demons in question are more serious than the ones I usually write about, such as deep sadness or relentless boredom. Patrick was contending with demons of murder and slavery, theft and exploitation. The whole of his letter is a call for justice, a testimony against human trafficking. He says,
“These words, which I have composed and written with my own hand, are to be sent, given, and proclaimed to the soldiers of Coroticus. In doing this I speak not to my compatriots nor to fellow citizens with the Roman saints, but to those who by their evil deeds are servants of the demons.” (Trans by Davies)
The demon of slavery is much bigger than Coroticus. It existed long before him and continued long after his death. While there were undoubtedly personal demons at play in his life, he was also a product of his time and place, shaped by the spirit of his society. Sexism, racism, classism, and homophobia can all exist within individual people, but they are ultimately systemic – part of how the larger system functions.
In much the same way demons (fallen angles) are manifestations of dysfunction in our souls, fallen archangels are manifestations of systemic patterns of injustice shared by large groups of people. They are said to exist in a higher level of reality because they are interested in big picture things like international politics, language, and economics. For example, the archangel Michael is associated with the military – a sphere of human activity which transcends any individual person. When an archangel falls, it injures many people.
The salvation of Christ knows no limits. It reaches into the furthest depths, where no shadow can penetrate, reconciling all things to itself. There is a spark of original goodness in the heart of every demon, an infinite wellspring of beauty waiting to be awakened. While Patrick did everything he could to protest their crimes, he never doubted God’s mercy, praying that his enemies would choose peace and know kindness.
“Read them [his words] aloud so that every people and Coroticus himself should hear them. If this happens then God may inspire them, and they might return to him. For though it be very late, it may be they will repent of their impious actions – being the murderers of the Lord’s brothers – and release the baptized captives they have taken. Thus they would merit to live in God and be healed for this life and eternity. Peace to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.” (Trans by Davies)
Patrick promises mercy on God’s behalf, offering healing to the whole community, in this life and the life to come. This is the key to his prophetic voice, the echo of truth ringing through the particularity of his circumstance. The healing of systemic evil is of paramount importance. Repentance is not just for individuals, it is for whole nations.
Though it is more complex, requiring greater coordination and cooperation, we are able to transform these fallen archangels through the application of contraries. When they return to their original goodness, the archangels once again support our communities, nourishing our children and caring for our elders.
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