Evagrius, Cassian and Germanus

Evagrius, Cassian and Germanus

Evagrius, Cassian and Germanus.

Evagrius of Pontus, experiencing the temptations of wealth and power in the Byzantine Church, fled to the deserts of Egypt, where he became the leader of the spiritual descendants of Anthony at Nitria.  Two men—Cassian and Germanus—attached themselves to him, then carried the teaching of the Desert Fathers into Gaul, and finally into Britain, adding fuel to the fires already started in Scotland.  Under these influences, the Celtic Church became “a house of prayer for all nations,” a complete contrast to the church at Rome.