The Presbyters Project

Epistula 5

Cyprianus presbyteris et diaconibus fratribvs carissimis s[alutem].

Cyprian writes in hiding, ordering his clergy to provide from the treasury of the Church for the imprisoned and the poor. He advises prudence while visiting the imprisoned:

II,2. [...] Consulite ergo et prouidete ut cum temperamento fieri hoc tutius possit, ita ut presbyteri quoque qui illic apud confessores offerunt singuli cum singulis diaconis per uices alternent, quia et mutatio personarum et uicissitudo conuenientium minuit inuidiam. [...]

(ed. Diercks 1994: 28)

Letter 5

Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons, his beloved brethren, greeting.

Cyprian writes in hiding, ordering his clergy to provide from the treasury of the Church for the imprisoned and the poor. He advises prudence while visiting the imprisoned:

II,2. [...] Take counsel, therefore, and see that this may be more safely managed with moderation, so that the presbyters also, who there offer with the confessors, may one by one take turns with the deacons individually; because, by thus changing the persons and varying the people that come together, suspicion is diminished. [...]

(trans. R.E. Wallis, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/050604.htm)

Discussion:

The letter gives us information about the situation in Carthage during the Decian persecutions: some Christians have been imprisoned, but the presbyters are able to visit them and celebrate Eucharist in prison ("offering" certainly refers to this). The reference to the deacons means that the presence of both presbyters and deacons was necessary for celebrating Eucharist.

Place of event:

Region

Latin North Africa

City

Carthage

About the source:

Author: Cyprian
Title: Letters, Epistulae, Epistolae
Origin: Carthage (Latin North Africa)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Cyprian was born probably about AD 200. He converted to Christianity in about 245 and in 248 was elected Bishop of Carthage. Soon after, the Decian persecution began (in 249/250) and Cyprian went into hiding. In 251 he returned to the city. Under Valerian, he was exiled in 257 and executed in 258. The epistolary of Cyprian consists of 81 letters (16 of them by his correspondents, and 6 synodal or collective), the majority of them are from the period of 250-251, when they were the means of Cyprian`s communication with his clergy. They offer us a wide view on the organization of the Church in Carthage in the middle of the third century, her relation with the Church of Rome, on the development of the persecutions, and on the conflicts that they caused inside the Church.

Different numerations of Cyprian's letters exist, I follow the edition of Diercks in Corpus Christianorum.

Edition:

G.F. Diercks ed., Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Epistularium. Epistulae 1-57, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 3B, Turnhout 1994.

Bibliography:

Saint Cyprien, Lettres 1-20, Introduction, texte, traduction et commentaire par S. Deléani, Paris 2007.

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Ritual activity - Eucharist

Pastoral activity - Ransoming and visiting prisoners and captives

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1074, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1074