St. Jerome is a Protestant's Worst Ally - The Fathers Know Best
Protestants often appeal to Jerome as a kind of patristic ally against the Catholic Church. Here's why that's a big mistake!
For members of my inner circle, here’s a Fathers Know Best piece that’ll fire you up, and put a smile on your face, if you catch the humor in it.
St. Jerome is one of the most cited Church Fathers in Protestant apologetics, and it’s not hard to see why they reach for him. He preferred the Hebrew text over the Septuagint — though it should be noted that was his own scholarly opinion, and he deferred to Rome’s judgment without hesitation when it mattered. He had sharp words for bishops who deserved it, he took a hard stand against the laxity that had crept into the Church following the persecutions, and his willingness to challenge Church figures makes him look, at first glance, like a credible ally.
But Jerome didn’t sound anything like a Protestant. He thought like a Catholic, he wrote like a Catholic, and if anything, his letters are a direct admonishment of everything the Protestant reformers would later claim. Protestants are bold to bring Jerome into their corner at all — because in wrestling terms, he’s the tag team partner who waits for the right moment and then turns on his own “teammates” (the protestants appealing to him).
Let's get into some of Jerome's boldest admonitions and see how they actually apply