Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 254
The Council of Carthage (AD 419) explains to Pope Boniface the case of the presbyter Apiarius.
Bishops gathered at the Council at Carthage wrote a letter to Pope Boniface I. It was meant to be carried back to Rome by papal legates, Bishop Faustinus of Potenza Picena, and Presbyters Philip and Asellus, who were present during the council. The bishops account once again the history of the case of Apiarius:
 
Apiarius presbyter, de cuius et ordinatione et excommunicatione et prouocatione fuerat exortum non solum Siccensis uerum etiam totius Africanae ecclesiae non leue scandalum, de omnibus erratis suis ueniam petens communioni est restitutus.
Prior autem coepiscopus noster Siccensis Vrbanus quod in eo corrigendum uisum est sine ulla dubitatione correxit: quia uero paci et quieti ecclesiae non tantum ad praesens sed etiam in posterum prospiciendum fuit (quoniam talia multa praecesserant ut uel similia uel etiam grauiora deinceps praecaueri oporteret), placuit ut de Siccensi ecclesia, retento scilicet honore gradus sui presbyterii, remoueretur Apiarius et accepto epistolio ubicumque alibi uellet et posset presbyterii munere fungeretur: quod eidem ipsi per litteras proprias postulanti sine difficultate concessimus.
 
(ed. Munier 1974: 157)
Bishops gathered at the Council at Carthage wrote a letter to Pope Boniface I. It was meant to be carried back to Rome by papal legates, Bishop Faustinus of Potenza Picena, and Presbyters Philip and Asellus, who were present during the council. The bishops account once again the history of the case of Apiarius:
 
A not inconsiderable scandal has begun not only for the church of Sicca, but for the entire church of Africa because of the ordination, excommunication and appeal of the presbyter Apiarius. He asked for pardon for his errors and was readmitted into communion.
Before this, our fellow bishop, Urbanus of Sicca, without any doubt corrected in him what he saw that needs correction. Since many such things happened before and we should guard againts their repetition, we decided, for the peace and calm of the church not only now, but also in the future, that Apiarius should be removed from the church of Sicca, retain his grade of presbyter and be given a note with which he can (if he would like) perform presbyterial duties in any other place. We grant this willingly to him, since he himself asked for it in his own letter.
 
(trans. S. Adamiak)
 
 

Discussion:

For the precedent and subsequent events of the affair of Apiarius see [255] and [270].

Place of event:

Region
  • Latin North Africa
City
  • Carthage
  • Sicca Veneria

About the source:

Author: Aurelius of Carthage
Title: The letter of the council of Carthage to Pope Boniface I, Epistula concili Carthaginensis ad Bonifatium papam
Apiarius, a presbyter of Sicca Veneria in North Africa, was excommunicated for some unspecified crimes by his bishop, Urbanus. In 418 he appealed directly to Pope Zosimus, who sent legates to Africa to assess the charges. The council of African bishops gathered in Carthage in May 419 to address the question. In the meantime, Zosimus died and was succeeded by Boniface I, to whom the Africans address their letter of 25 May 419.
Edition:
C. Munier ed., Concilia Africae a. 345-a. 525, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 149, Turnhoult 1974, 156-161.  

Categories:

Ecclesiastical transfer
Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
Ecclesiastical administration - Participation in councils and ecclesiastical courts
Ecclesiastical administration - Ecclesiastical envoy
Public law - Ecclesiastical
Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER254, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=254