Contra Vigilantium

work by Saint Jerome

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June 24, 2026

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Contra Vigilantium is a polemical work written by Saint Jerome around 406 CE. In this text, Jerome defends monasticism, clerical celibacy, and the veneration of martyrs against the criticisms of Vigilantius, a priest from Gaul. Vigilantius had argued against certain ascetic practices and the excessive veneration of relics and saints. Jerome dictated his response in a single night, strongly refuting Vigilantius's points and upholding traditional Christian practices and beliefs. The work highlights Jerome's passionate defense of monastic life and his firm stance against what he perceived as heresy.1

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St. Jerome
Major literary works of St. Jerome
…the cult of martyrs (Contra Vigilantium, 406). The Pelagian problem—named for the heretical British monk Pelagius, who minimized the role of divine grace in salvation—was transplanted to Palestine from Rome with the personal appearance of the author of this heresy, and it called forth Jerome’s finest controversial work,
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…the cult of martyrs (Contra Vigilantium, 406). The Pelagian problem—named for the heretical British monk Pelagius, who minimized the role of divine grace in salvation—was transplanted to Palestine from Rome with the personal appearance of the author of this heresy, and it called forth Jerome’s finest controversial work,
Read More