Which decree proclaimed tolerance of all religions?

• A. Edict of Milan
• B. Edict of Nantes
• C. Edict of Thessalonica
• D. Edict of Worms

Answer: (A)

Religious toleration in the empire begins with the Edict of Milan, issued in 313 CE by Constantine and Licinius. It ended the persecution of Christians and allowed them to worship openly, reclaiming property and legal rights taken during earlier persecutions. This decree established that Christian belief could be practiced freely within imperial law, marking a shift toward tolerance of religious practice overall, which is why it’s identified with tolerance in this context.

The other edicts change the religious landscape in different ways: the Edict of Nantes granted substantial rights to Huguenots in Catholic France but did not establish universal toleration for all faiths across an empire; the Edict of Thessalonica declared Nicene Christianity the official faith of the empire and restricted other religions; the Edict of Worms condemned Martin Luther and banned his writings, aiming to suppress reform rather than tolerate it.