The Presbyters Project

Session 1

188. [...] Item recitauit: "Cresconius episcopus Caesariensis". Cumque accessisset, idem dixit: "Mandaui et subscripsi; aemulum non habeo".

189. Nouatus, episcopus Sitifensis ecclesiae catholicae, dixit: "Habet contra se catholicum presbyterum, clericos abundantes et populos ex coetu donatistarum. Hic est presbyter et diaconus, hic in hac ciuitate Carthaginiensi, quem praedauit, quem torsit, quem suspendit. Ecclesiam autem catholicam praedauit, pecuniam sustulit, frumenta deportauit, carpenta duxit, ut norit iste quia est illic ecclesia catholica. Hoc sum prosecutus". Adeodatus episcopus dixit: "Haec omnia documentis agenda sunt. Faciat periculum, qui mendacium in iudicio promit". Et, alia manu: "Adeodatus episcopus recognoui". Nouatus episcopus ecclesiae catholicae dixit: "Iube presbyterum loci intromitti".

190. Marcellinus, uir clarissimus, tribunus et notarius, dixit: "Ad praesentem cognitionem ista non pertinent quae mihi mandata est; reliquorum subscriptio relegatur". Saluianus episcopus dixit: "Nobis praescriptum est dudum, quum dicerent: de episcopis agitur, non de presbyteris". [...]

(ed. Lancel 1972: 840-842)

Session 1

188. [...] [Marcellinus] read: "Cresconius, bishop of Caesariana." He approached, and he said: "I signed the mandate; I do not have a rival."

189. Novatus, the bishop of the Catholic Church of Sitifis, said: "He has a Catholic presbyter against him, plenty of clerics and people who have come from the Donatist community. There is a presbyter and deacon, here in the city of Carthage, who was robbed, tortured, and suspended by him. He pillaged the Catholic Church, stole the money, took away the grain provisions, and drove away the carts, although he knew that there was the Catholic Church there. This is what I described.” [Donatist] Bishop Adeodatus said: "All this must be proved by the documents. If someone introduces false information in the court, he takes a risk". And, by another hand: "I, Bishop Adeodatus, confirm.” Novatus, the bishop of the Catholic Church, said: "Order the presbyter of that community to come."

190. Marcellinus, vir clarissimus, tribune and notary, said: "This does not belong to the current examination, which was confided to me; let the rest of the list of signatures be read." [Donatist] Bishop Salvianus said: "It has already been used against us, when they said: let us talk about the bishops, not the presbyters."

(trans. S. Adamiak)

Discussion:

On the first day of the Conference, the Donatists challenged the list of the signatures of the Catholic bishops on the document in which they had assigned their representatives. A roll call followed, in which the tribune Marcellinus, who presided, called the Catholic bishops one by one, and their Donatist counterparts were to identify them. Then the roll call proceeded in the opposite way, with the Donatist bishops identified by the Catholics.

As Serge Lancel remarks in his note, the text suggests that the function of the presbyter and deacon is performed by the same person ("est presbyter et diaconus, (...) quem"), but this seems hardy possible.

The meaning of "suspension" is not exactly clear, but it refers rather to some kind of physical torture than to a canonical prohibition of carrying out the priestly office.

Place of event:

Region

Latin North Africa

City

Caesariana

About the source:

Title: Acts of the Conference of Carthage, Gesta Collationis Carthaginiensis
Origin: Carthage (Latin North Africa)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian, Donatist

The conference between the Catholics and the Donatists was held in Carthage on 1-8 June 411. Its goal was to arrive at unity between the rival Churches. The proceedings were minutely recorded, and the majority of the acts have been preserved to our days.

Edition:

S. Lancel ed., Actes de la Conférence de Carthage en 411, tome II, Sources Chrétiennes 195, Paris 1972.

Categories:

Travel and change of residence

Religious grouping (other than Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian) - Donatist

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Specific number of presbyters from the same church

Ecclesiastical administration - Participation in councils and ecclesiastical courts

Relation with - Heretic/Schismatic

Equal prerogatives of presbyters and bishops

Conflict - Violence

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1004, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1004