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Who
is St.
Cyprian?
Bishop
of Carthage,
Martyr, 258
Cyprian
was one of the
great heroes
of the
third-century
Church,
because he
guided the
Christians in
the North
African city
of Carthage
through a
period of
frightening
persecution,
until he
himself was
martyred in
the year 258.
He was a
wealthy
fifty-year-old
barrister when
he converted
to
Christianity,
and he
probably
viewed his
baptism as his
retirement
from public
service. But
the Christians
at Carthage
decided to
exploit his
social
position and
political
prestige, and
they elected
him as their
bishop in the
year 248.
The next
decade proved
to be very
difficult for
the Church in
North Africa.
The pagan
government
renewed its
persecution of
the Church
and, on the
advice of his
presbyters,
Cyprian went
into hiding
for two years.
When he
returned to
Carthage, he
had to deal
with a large
number of
people who had
lapsed from
the faith
during the
persecution
but, once it
was past,
wanted to come
back to the
Church.
Cyprian
refused to
slam the door
of God’s mercy
and the
Church’s
forgiveness on
them, because
he understood
the weakness
of human will
and, even
more, the
infinite
compassion of
God in Christ.
But, by the
same token, he
was sure that
the returning
apostates had
wounded Christ
anew when they
took part in
pagan
sacrifices.
So, he opened
the arms of
the Church to
returning
apostates, but
required them
to undergo
public penance
in order that
they might
learn
something of
what it cost
to love and be
loved by
Christ.
Cyprian
himself was
called to
fulfill this
love when,
early in the
year 258, the
imperial
government
began a new
round of
persecution.
He was
banished from
Carthage, but
insisted on
returning and
surrendering
himself. After
a brief trial
at which he
bore
unyielding
witness to
Christ, he was
taken outside
the city gates
and beheaded.
Source:
https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/ForAlltheSaints.pdf
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