THASCIUS CAECILLIUS CYPRIANUS AFER, African bishop and martyr, who was born in Carthage of rich pagan parents, was first a Professor of Rhetoric and then converted to Christianity towards 245. He was elected Bishop of Carthage in 249. He left the city in 250, during the persecution of Decius.
He stayed for fifteen months as a proscript and on his return faced the question of the “Lapsi”, the faithful who, after being forced to renounce their faith during the persecution, were asking to come back into the Christian fold.
He produced two treatise: “De Lapsis” and then “De Catholicae Ecclesiae Unitate”, in which he outlined the doctrine of the unity of the church, and had his viewpoint approved by three Councils held in Carthage (251, 252, 253).
He fought against the schismatic attempts of Fortunatus in Carthage and of Novatius in Rome, organised the church in Africa, and opposed Pope Stephen on the African doctrine of the “Lapsi”, which another Council of Carthage (256) had just confirmed.
In 257, during the persecution of Valerius, Cyprian was again exiled to Curubis. Recalled to Carthage and summoned to sacrifice to the gods of the Empire, he refused to renounce his faith and was martyred on the 14th September 258.
In his works, which were all dictated by circumstances, Cyprian showed a confident eloquence, aiming at effectiveness but not without some elegance. A disciple of Tertullian as far as his ideas go, and an imitator of his form, Cyprian was before Saint Augustin one of those who laid down the doctrine of the church, whose unity he upheld, and established its moral code and hierarchy.
- Apologetics: Ad Donatum; Quod idola dii non sint; Ad Demetrianum-253; Ad fortunatum de exhortatione martyrii 257; Testimonia ad Quirinum (dogmatic and moral theology).
- Discipline: De Lapsis, 251; De Catholicae ecclesiae unitate, 251; De mortalitate, 252; De habitu virginum’ De dominica oratione, 252; De opere et elecmonysis, 252; De bono parientiae, 256; De zelo et livore.
- Correspondence: 81 letters (essential documents for the history of the church during the early centuries) among which were 59 by Cyprian during his episcopate, 16 written to him and 6 synodals.
MOULOUD MAMMERI
