Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 1111
A Catholic presbyter serves the community of Medianas Zabuniorum (North Africa) after the death of its bishop and before the nomination of a new one. Account of the Acts of the Conference of Carthage, AD 411.
Session 1
 
203. [...] Item recitauit: "Donatus episcopus a Medianas Zabuniorum". Cumque accessisset, idem dixit: "Mandaui et subscripsi".
204. Victor, episcopus ecclesiae catholicae, dixit: "Probet se accesssisse ad unam domum". Quod diceret, Nouatus episcopus ecclesiae catholicae Sitifi dixit: "Scriptum sit me Medianas Zabuniorum habere presbyterum. Ipse hodie tenet plebem et basilicam. Vnitatem habeo; nullus illic est donatistarum. Supra corpus episcopi catholici presbyterum ordinaui, et, Deo uolente, ordinabitur illic episcopus. Episcopus autem donatistarum in eodem loco non est". Adeodatus episcopus dixit: "Contra haec serua quae conpetunt". Et, alia manu: "Adeodatus episcopus recognoui". Marcellinus, uir clarissimus, tribunus et notarius dixit: "Quae partibus conpetunt, salua erunt".  [...]
 
(ed. Lancel 1972: 872-874)
Session 1
 
203. [...] [Marcellinus] read: "Donatus, the bishop of Medianas Zabuniorum". When he approached, he said: "I signed the mandate".
204. Victor, the bishop of the Catholic Church, said: "Let him prove that he entered a single house". When he said it, Novatus, the bishop of the Catholic Church of Sitifis, said: "Let it be written that I have a presbyter at Medianas Zabuniorum. Today he keeps the community and the basilica. I have [Catholic] unity; there is no Donatist there. I ordained the presbyter there after the death [literally: over the body] of the Catholic bishop, and, with God's will, the bishop will be ordained there. There is no bishop of the Donatists in that place". The [Donatist] Bishop Adeodatus said: "Let our rights be preserved against it". And, by another hand: "I confirm". Marcellinus, vir clarissimus, tribune and notary said: "The rights of the parties shall be preserved"   [...].
 
(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. The 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.
The presence of the Donatists in Medianas Zabuniorum is contested by the Catholics. The Donatists leave the matter for further discussion. However, there is no Catholic bishop at the moment there. The bishop of neighbouring Sitifis said that he "has" a presbyter there, so he is probably a member of his clergy, although he was ordained specially for this occasion, after the death of the bishop of Medianas. The bishop of Sitifis promises that a new bishop will be ordained; it is unclear, whether it may be the presbyter who is actually serving there.

Place of event:

Region
  • Latin North Africa
City
  • Sitifis
  • Medianas Zabuniorum

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:

Further ecclesiastical career - Bishop
    Functions within the Church - Parish presbyter
      Functions within the Church - Rural presbyter
        Act of ordination
          Specific number of presbyters from the same church
            Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1111, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1111