Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, in his Letter 39, writes about praying for and commemorating the anniversaries of the deaths of martyrs, among them *Celerina, Laurentius and Egnatius (martyrs of Carthage, S03073). Written in Latin in Carthage (central North Africa), between 249 and 258.
E08493
Literary - Letters
Cyprian, Letter 39
Cyprian writes about the virtues of Celerinus, whom he wants to establish as a reader, and later a presbyter. He includes an account of Celerinus' devout family:
III.1. Auia eius Celerina iam pridem martyrio coronata est. Item patruus eius et auunculus Laurentinus et Egnatius in castris et ipsi quondam saecularibus militantes, sed ueri et spiritales dei milites, dum diabolum Christi confessione prosternunt, palmas domini et coronas inlustri passione meruerunt. Sacrificia pro eis semper, ut meministis, offerimus, quotiens martyrum passiones et dies anniuersaria commemoratione celebramus.
'His grandmother, Celerina, was some time since crowned with martyrdom. Moreover, his paternal and maternal uncles, Laurentius and Egnatius, who themselves also were once warring in the camps of the world, but were true and spiritual soldiers of God, casting down the devil by the confession of Christ, merited palms and crowns from the Lord by their illustrious passion. We always offer sacrifices for them, as you remember, as often as we celebrate the passions and days of the martyrs in the annual commemoration.'
Text: Diercks 1994
Translation: R.E. Wallis
Service for the saint
Eucharist associated with cult
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Source
Cyprian was born probably in about AD 200. He converted to Christianity in around 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 are from the period 250-251, when they were the means of Cyprian`s communication with his clergy. They offer us a wide view on the organisation of the Church in Carthage in the middle of the third century, its relations 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; we follow the edition of Diercks in Corpus Christianorum.
Discussion
The letter is addressed to 'to the presbyters and deacons, and to the whole people'. Cyprian writes of praying 'always' on the anniversary of the death of the said martyrs, which suggests that either the letter was written already some time after the Decian persecutions, or Celerina, Laurentius and Egnatius were killed some years earlier.The wording of Cyprian is ambiguous in relation to the level of cult accorded to the three martyrs. He writes about 'celebrating' their anniversaries, but also about 'offering sacrifices' (i.e. the eucharist) for them, as if they were in need of prayer.
For Cyprian on the annual commemoration of the martyrs, see also E08125.
Bibliography
Editions:Diercks, G.F. (ed.), Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Epistularium. Epistulae 1-57 (Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 3B; Turnhout 1994).
Translation:
Wallis, Robert Ernest (trans.), in Roberts, Alexander, Donaldson, James and Cleveland Coxe, A. (eds), The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.). Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/050636.htm>.
Further reading:
Patout Burns, J., Cyprian the Bishop (London / New York, 2002).
Stanisław Adamiak
18/8/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S03073 | Celerina, Laurentius and Egnatius, martyrs of Carthage | Celerina; Laurentius; Egnatius | Certain |
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