Bishop of Poitiers in the fourth century, St. Hilary was one of the great champions of Catholic belief in the divinity of Christ. By his preaching, his treatise on the Trinity, his part in the Councils, his daring opposition to the Emperor Constantius, he showed himself a courageous apostle of the truth. He could not tolerate that the specious plea of safeguarding peace and unity should be allowed to dim the light of Gospel teaching. His ambition was to be called a pupil of the truth. Pius IX proclaimed him a doctor of the Church. St. Hilary died in 367.