Asterius of Petra

Asterius of Petra was bishop of Petra in the fourth century, a former Arian and defender of the Council of Nicaea and of Saint Athanasius. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, with a commemoration on 10 June. He died at Petra in 365.

Asterius turned from Arianism to the right faith and was then bishop of Petra. He confessed the Nicene Creed and for that reason took part in the Council of Sardica in 343, although most of the bishops invited to the council left it. These withdrew to Philippopolis, where they held a council of their own, which condemned Athanasius and the work of the Council of Sardica. At Sardica the Nicene Creed was confirmed and twenty canons were adopted, which entered the Orthodox Church's general body of canon law. Asterius declared there that Arianism is a heresy, and for this, by command of the emperor Constantius II, an adherent of Arianism and an opponent of the Nicene Creed, he was exiled to Libya.

In exile he endured hardship until 362, when the emperor Julian the Apostate recalled him and restored him as bishop of Petra. In 362 he took part in the Council of Alexandria, where the teaching was adopted that the Holy Spirit is of the same essence and divinity as the Father and the Son, and that none of the Trinity may be called a creature or lesser or later than the other Persons. The council entrusted the governance of the Churches of the East to Asterius and others who were with him, and that of the Churches of the West to Eusebius. Asterius was chosen to carry a letter to the Church of Antioch, for which he also prepared a report of the council's proceedings for the leaders of the Antiochene Church.