St.Cornelius & St. Cyprian St.Cornelius Cornelius whose feast day is September 16th. A Roman priest, Cornelius was elected Pope to succeed Fabian in an election delayed fourteen months by Decius persecution of the Christians. The main issue of his pontificate was the treatment to be accorded Christians who had been apostasized during the persecution. He condemned those confessors who were lax in not demanding penance of these Christians and supported St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, against Novatus and his dupe, Felicissimus, whom he had set up as an antibishop to Cyprian, when Novatus came to Rome. On the other hand, he also denounced the Rigorists, headed by Novatian, a Roman priest, who declared that the Church could not pardon the lapsi (the lapsed Christians), and declared himself Pope - the first antipope. The two extremes eventually joined forces, and the Novatian movement had quite a vogue in the East. Meanwhile, Cornelius proclaimed that the Church had the authority and the power to forgive repentant lapsi and could readmit them to the sacraments and the Church after they had performed proper penances. A synod of Western bishops in Rome in October 251 upheld Cornelius, condemned the teachings of Novatian, and excommunicated him and his followers. When persecutions of the Christians started up again in 253 under Emperor Gallus, Cornelius was exiled to Centum Cellae (Civita Vecchia), where he died a martyr probably of hardships he was forced to endure. St. Cyprian The earliest centuries of Catholicism testified to a tremendous expansion throughout the Roman Empire. What is fascinating about this growth is that various inhabitants, from different cultures and continents, were embracing the Way of Jesus Christ and His Church (cf. Acts 9:2; 19:9; 24:14). Providentially, the Gospel reached Africa, producing one of the greatest converts in ecclesiastical history: Cyprian of Carthage. Caecilius Cyprianus Thascius, better known as St. Cyprian (A.D. 200-258), was reared in a pagan household in Carthage, Africa. In his youth, Cyprian received an excellent education, and became an expert in rhetoric. Over time, this Carthagian earned some wealth via personal property, and soon moved in the best intellectual and social circles. Eventually, Cyprian became disheartened by the immorality and corruption throughout his homeland. Near the age of 40, by the grace of God, Cyprian embraced the Christian Faith and entered the Catholic Church. After this transformation in Christ, the future saint sold most of his property, giving the money to the poor. In addition, he took a vow of continence. After entering the priesthood, Cyprian would participate in the fullness of Holy Orders in the Catholic Church when consecrated bishop of Carthage in A.D. 250. Incidentally, this very area of Carthage convened several local Church councils (A.D. 393; 397; 419), which recognized the canon (i.e. collection) of inspired books contained in the Holy Bible. St. Cyprians life was one of many trials. While a bishop, he had to flee his diocese and hide out in the hills outside Carthage: this refuge was necessary because the Catholic Church was suffering fierce persecution under Emperor Decius (d. A.D. 251). During this time, St. Cyprian took care of his flock by writing letters to his priests and congregations. The Carthaginian eventually suffered martyrdom in A.D. 258, likely the first African bishop to shed his blood for the Catholic Faith.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 11:25:04 +0000
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