Saint Corneille
Pape (21 ème) de 251
à 253 et martyr (✝ 253)
Son pontificat fut marqué
par la querelle de la réintégration des "lapsi", chrétiens qui
n'avaient pas eu le courage du martyre et avaient renié leur foi. Saint
Corneille, soutenu par saint Cyprien, les acceptait dans la pénitence.
Novatien, élu antipape, leur refusait le pardon. Le schisme se répandit en
Italie, en Gaule et même en Orient. Saint Cyprien
écrivit alors son traité "Sur l'unité de l'Église", où il rappelle le
rôle fondamental du Siège des apôtres Pierre et Paul d'où procède l'unité des
évêques. Le schisme se réduisit sans totalement disparaître quand arriva une
nouvelle persécution. Saint Corneille fut arrêté et exilé à Civitavecchia où il
mourut.
À Rome, sur la voie Appienne, dans la crypte de Lucine au cimetière de
Calliste, en 253, la mise au tombeau de saint Corneille, pape et martyr, qui
s’opposa avec force au schisme de Novatien, reçut avec une grande charité dans
la communion de l’Église un grand nombre de ceux qui avaient failli dans la
persécution; enfin chassé de Rome par l’empereur Gallus et envoyé à Cemtucellae
[Civitavecchia], il souffrit, dit saint Cyprien, tout ce qu’il est possible de
souffrir. (…)
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/1858/Saint-Corneille.htmlMartyr (251
to 253).
SOURCE : http://www.introibo.fr/16-09-Sts-Corneille-pape-et
LE XVI SEPTEMBRE. SAINT
CORNEILLE, PAPE ET MARTYR, ET SAINT CYPRIEN, ÉVÊQUE ET MARTYR.
Saint Corneille (251-253)
Son élection eut lieu après d’âpres
discussions.
Le prêtre Novicien s’étant autoproclamé pape, saint
Corneille convoqua un concile qui condamna Novatien le déclarant antipape.
Saint Corneille fut exilé à Civitavecchia
après avoir refusé de sacrifier aux dieux romains. Il décéda en exil.
Saints Corneille, pape, et Cyprien,
évêque, martyrs
Ces deux saints
étaient primitivement fêtés le 14 septembre, mais en raison de l’importance
prise par la fête de l’Exaltation de la Ste Croix,
le pape Clément VI (1342-1352) déplaça leur fête au 16 (le 15 étant le jour
octave de la fête de la Nativité de la Ste Vierge). Corneille fut martyrisé en
253, Cyprien en 258.
On commémore
aussi Sts Euphémie, Vierge, Lucie et Géminiem, Martyrs.
(Leçons
des Matines (avant 1960)
Quatrième leçon. Corneille était romain ; il exerça le
souverain pontificat sous les empereurs Gallus et Volusien. Aidé de Lucine,
femme d’une très grande sainteté, il enleva des catacombes les corps des
Apôtres Pierre et Paul, pour les transférer dans un lieu plus digne d’eux.
Lucine plaça le corps de saint Paul dans sa propriété, située sur la voie
d’Ostie, tout près de l’endroit où il avait été frappé du glaive. Quant au
prince des Apôtres, Corneille déposa son corps non loin du lieu où il avait été
crucifié. Les empereurs ayant appris ces faits par dénonciation, et sachant
que, par le zèle du Pontife, beaucoup se convertissaient à la foi chrétienne,
ils l’envoyèrent en exil à Civita-Vecchia, où il reçut par lettres les
consolations de saint Cyprien, Évêque de Carthage.
Cinquième leçon. Comme ils se rendaient fréquemment l’un à
l’autre ce devoir de charité chrétienne, les empereurs en prirent ombrage. Ils
mandèrent Corneille à Rome, le firent flageller avec des cordes plombées, comme
coupable de lèse-majesté, et, l’ayant fait conduire à l’idole de Mars, lui
ordonnèrent de sacrifier à ce dieu. Parce qu’il manifestait toute l’horreur que
lui inspirait cette impiété, on lui trancha la tête, le dix-huitième jour des
calendes d’octobre. La bienheureuse Lucine, aidée par des Clercs, inhuma son
corps dans une sablonnière qui lui appartenait, près du cimetière de saint
Calixte. Il avait occupé le trône pontifical pendant deux années environ.
Du Livre de saint Jérôme, Prêtre : Des écrivains
ecclésiastiques.
Sixième leçon. Cyprien, africain d’origine, enseigna d’abord la
rhétorique avec beaucoup d’éclat. Puis, s’étant fait chrétien, à la persuasion
de Cécilius, dont il choisit le nom pour l’ajouter au sien, il donna aux
pauvres toute sa fortune. Peu de temps après, il fut élevé au sacerdoce, et
enfin nommé Évêque de Carthage. Il serait superflu de parler de son génie,
puisque ses œuvres sont plus brillantes que le soleil. Il endura le martyre
sous le règne de Valérien et de Gallien, dans la huitième persécution, le même
jour que Corneille souffrit à Rome, mais non la même année.
die
16 septembris
|
Ss.
CORNELII Papæ et CYPRIANI Ep.
|
Martyrum
|
III classis (ante CR 1960 : semiduplex)
|
Missa Intret, de Communi
plurimorum Martyrum 1 loco.
|
Oratio.
|
Beatórum Mártyrum paritérque Pontíficum Cornélii
et Cypriáni nos, quǽsumus, Dómine, festa tueántur : et eórum comméndet
orátio veneránda. Per Dóminum.
|
Et fit commemoratio Ss. Euphemiæ Virg.,
Luciae et Geminiani Mm. :
|
Oratio.
|
Præsta, Dómine, précibus nostris cum exsultatióne
provéntum : ut sanctórum Mártyrum Euphémiæ, Lúciæ et Geminiáni, quorum
diem passiónis ánnua devotióne recólimus, étiam fídei constántiam
subsequámur. Per Dóminum nostrum.
|
Secreta
|
Adésto, Dómine, supplicatiónibus nostris, quas in
Sanctórum tuórum commemoratióne deférimus : ut, qui nostræ iustítiæ
fidúciam non habémus, eórum, qui tibi placuérunt, méritis adiuvémur. Per
Dóminum.
|
Pro Ss. Martyribus
|
Secreta
|
Vota pópuli tui, quǽsumus, Dómine, propítius
inténde : et, quorum nos tríbuis sollémnia celebráre, fac gaudére
suffrágiis. Per Dóminum nostrum.
|
Postcommunio
|
Quǽsumus, Dómine, salutáribus repléti
mystériis : ut, quorum sollémnia celebrámus, eórum oratiónibus
adiuvémur. Per Dóminum.
|
Pro Ss. Martyribus
|
Postcommunio
|
Exáudi, Dómine, preces nostras : et sanctórum
Mártyrum tuórum Euphémiæ, Lúciæ et Geminiáni, quorum festa sollémniter
celebrámus, contínuis foveámur auxíliis. Per Dóminum.
|
le
16 septembre
|
Sts
CORNEILLE Pape et CYPRIEN Ev.
|
Martyrs
|
IIIème classe (avant 1960 : semidouble)
|
Messe Intret, du
Commun de plusieurs Martyrs I.
|
Collecte
|
Nous vous en prions, Seigneur, faites qu’en
célébrant les fêtes de vos bienheureux Martyrs et Pontifes Corneille et
Cyrprien, nous obtenions leur protection, et que leur sainte prière nous
serve de recommandation auprès de vous.
|
Et on fait mémoire des Sts Euphémie, Vierge, Lucie
et Géminiem, Martyrs :
|
Collecte
|
Touché de nos prières, faites, Seigneur, que cette
Fête nous profite ; en sorte que, célébrant avec dévotion, chaque année,
le jour où vos saints Martyrs Euphémie, Lucie et Oéminien ont souffert, nous
les imitions dans la constance de la foi.
|
Secrète
|
Prêtez attention, Seigneur, aux supplications que
nous vous adressons en faisant mémoire de vos saints, afin que nous, qui
n’avons point de confiance en notre propre justice, nous soyons aidés par les
mérites de ceux qui vous ont plu.
|
Pour les Sts Martyrs
|
Secrète
|
Considérez avec bonté, nous vous en prions,
Seigneur, les vœux de votre peuple : et faites-nous jouir du fruit des
suffrages de ceux dont vous nous accordez de célébrer la fête.
|
Postcommunion
|
Rassasiés par la participation à ces mystères de
salut, nous vous demandons, Seigneur, d’être aidés grâce aux prières de ceux
dont nous célébrons la solennité.
|
Pour les Sts Martyrs
|
Postcommunion
|
Exaucez, Seigneur, nos prières : et faites
que nous soyons protégés par l’assistance continuelle de vos saints Martyrs
Euphémie, Lucie et Géminiem, dont nous célébrons solennellement la fête.
|
SOURCE : http://www.introibo.fr/16-09-Sts-Corneille-pape-et
Reliques du Pape Cornelius à Kornelimünster
LE XVI SEPTEMBRE. SAINT
CORNEILLE, PAPE ET MARTYR, ET SAINT CYPRIEN, ÉVÊQUE ET MARTYR.
Rencontre
à laquelle sourient les Anges ! L'enfer voulut un jour, dans une querelle
fameuse (Sur la question de la validité du baptême donné par les hérétiques),
opposer Cyprien au Siège suprême ; or voici que, représailles dignes d'elle, la
Sagesse présente en une même fête au commun hommage de la terre et des cieux l'évêque
de Carthage et l'un des plus nobles successeurs de Pierre.
Noble entre tous, Corneille
le fut par la naissance, comme en témoigne son tombeau, retrouvé naguère dans
la crypte de famille où les plus beaux noms de l'ancien patriciat lui formaient
un cortège d'honneur. L'élévation au pontificat souverain d'un héritier des Scipions reliait dans Rome les grandeurs du passé à celles de
l'avenir. C'était le temps où Dèce, redoutant plus d'apprendre
l'élection d'un Pape que de voir se lever un compétiteur à l'empire (Cyprian.
Epist. X, ad Antonianum. IX), avait
lancé l'édit de la septième persécution générale. Mais le césar qu'un bourg de
Pannonie vient de donner à la capitale du monde n'arrêtera pas les destinées de
la Ville éternelle. En face du sanguinaire empereur et de
ses pareils passés ou futurs, dont la cité reine ne connut les pères qu'à titre
d'esclaves ou
d'ennemis vaincus, le Romain authentique, le descendant des Cornelii,
se révèle à la simplicité native qu'on nous décrit en lui, au calme accompagnant sa force d'âme, à
l'intrépide fermeté de sa race qui le fait triompher le premier de
l'usurpateur que la flèche des Goths attend sur les bords des marais Danubiens
(Cyprian. Epist. X, ad Antonianum,
vm. IX). O saint Pontife, plus grand
pourtant étes-vous encore par l'humilité qu'admirait en
vous Cyprien, votre illustre ami, par cette pureté de votre âme
virginale qui selon lui
vous rendit l'élu de Dieu et de son Christ (Ibid. VIII).
Près de
vous, quelle n'est pas
la grandeur de
Cyprien lui-même ! Quel sillon de lumière a tracé dans le ciel de l'Église le converti
du prêtre Cœcilius !
Dans la générosité de son âme conquise au Christ, il abandonne et les richesses
et les honneurs, héritage de famille, et la gloire acquise dans les joutes de
l'éloquence. A l'admiration de tous on dirait que, selon le mot de son historien, la moisson des vertus
précède en lui les semailles (Pontius Diac. De vita et pass. Cypr. 11). Par une exception
justifiée, néophyte encore il est déjà pontife. Il lésera dix ans, durant lesquels
Carthage, l'Afrique, le monde, auront les yeux fixés sur lui ; les païens, criant: Cyprien au lion
! les chrétiens, attendant son mot d'ordre. Dix années qui
représenteront une des
périodes les plus
troublées de l'histoire : dans l'empire, anarchie au
sommet, invasions sur toutes les frontières, peste promenant partout l'épouvante ; dans
l'Église, après une longue paix qui avait endormi les âmes, les persécutions de
Dèce, de Gallus, de Valérien, dont la première, éclatant comme la foudre,
multipliera les défaillances de la première heure et causera les
schismes du lendemain, par la trop hâtive indulgence de plusieurs ou
l'excessive rigueur de quelques autres envers
les tombés.
Or, qui
donc (Pontius Diac. De vita et
pass. Cypr. VII) enseignera à ceux-ci
la pénitence (Cypr. De lapsis), aux
hérétiques la vérité, aux schismatiques l'unité (De unitate
Ecclesiae), aux fils de Dieu la prière et la paix (De oratione
Dominica)? Qui ramènera les vierges aux règles de
leur vie sainte (De habitu
virginis) ? Qui retournera contre les gentils leurs
sophismes blasphématoires (Lib. ad Demetria-num,
et De idolorum vanitate)
? Sous la
mort séparant et frappant, qui
rappellera les biens futurs et consolera les âmes (De mortalitate)
? De qui apprendront-elles et la miséricorde (De opere et eleemosynis),
et la patience (De bono patientiae),
et le secret de changer en douceur de salut les poisons provenant des morsures
de l'envie (De zelo et livore) ? Qui
enfin élèvera les martyrs à la hauteur de l'appel de Dieu ? qui
soutiendra les confesseurs sous la torture, au fond des cachots, dans l'exil ? qui préservera
des embûches de la liberté retrouvée les survivants du Martyre (De exhortatione
martyrii, et Epistolae ad confessores) ?
Dans son
calme incomparable, Cyprien, toujours prêt, semble défier les puissances de
l'enfer, de la terre et des cieux. Jamais troupeau n'aura eu main plus sûre
pour le rallier sous l'irruption soudaine et déconcerter le sanglier de la
forêt. Et quelle fierté inspire au pasteur la dignité de cette famille
chrétienne dont Dieu l'a fait le guide et le rempart! L'amour de l'Eglise, si
l'on peut ainsi parler, est la note toute spéciale de l'évêque de Carthage ; en
d'immortels épanchements avec ses très forts et très heureux frères,
confesseurs du Christ, honneur de la Mère commune, il s'écrie : « O
bienheureuse notre Eglise, qu'illumine des plus purs rayons la divine
condescendance, qu'illustre en nos temps le glorieux sang des martyrs ! Elle
était blanche autrefois des oeuvres de nos frères ; la voilà maintenant empourprée
du suc sorti des veines de ses héros. Ni les lis, ni les roses ne manquent à
ses fleurs (Epist. VIII, Ad martyres et confessores). »
Étrange infirmité des plus fermes
esprits d'ici-bas ! Ce fut cet amour même, ce fut, bien légitime, mais
faussement appliqué, son exclusivisme jaloux pour la très noble Épouse du
Sauveur, qui fit dévier Cyprien dans la grave question de la validité du
baptême conféré par les sectes dissidentes. « Seule l’unique,
disait-il, a les clefs, la puissance de l'Époux ; c'est son honneur que nous
défendons, en repoussant l'eau adultère de l'hérésie (Epist. ad
Jubaianum, I, XI). » C'était oublier que si, grâce à la
miséricordieuse libéralité du Sauveur, le plus indispensable des Sacrements ne
perd pas sa vertu, quel qu'en soit le ministre, étranger à l'Eglise ou son
ennemi, il n'a de fécondité pourtant même alors que pour et par l'Epouse, ne
valant qu'en union de ce qu'elle fait elle-même. Mais il est donc bien vrai :
sainteté ou science ne donnent pas à l'homme l'infaillibilité, que la divine
promesse assure au seul successeur de Pierre.
Pareille
démonstration pouvait avoir son prix ; et sans doute ce fut la raison pour
laquelle Dieu permit dans la haute intelligence du primat de l'Afrique romaine
une éclipse passagère. Le péril ne pouvait être grave, ni définitive l'erreur,
en celui dont la pensée maîtresse est toute dans ces mots que rappellent
moins volontiers les adversaires de nos dogmes : « Celui qui ne garde pas
l'unité de l'Église, croit-il qu'il garde la foi ? Celui qui abandonne la
Chaire de Pierre sur laquelle est fondée l'Église, peut-il se flatter d'être
encore dans l'Église (De
unitate Ecclesiae, IV)? »
Grande
avait été la vie de Cyprien ; plus grande fut sa mort. Valérien venait
d'ordonner l'extermination des chefs des Eglises. A Rome, Sixte II, suivi de
Laurent trois jours plus tard, reprenait le premier le chemin du martyre. Galérius Maximus, proconsul d'Afrique,
tenait dans ces jours-là ses assises à Utique ; il ordonna d'y amener Thascius
Cyprien. Mais l'évêque refusa de laisser « mutiler l'honneur de son Église »,
en consentant à mourir sur un territoire autre que celui de sa ville (Epist. ultima, LXXXIII, Ad clerum et plebem). Il attendit que le proconsul rentrât dans Carthage pour se
livrer, en y rentrant publiquement lui-même.
Dans
la maison qui lui servit de prison quelques heures, Cyprien, toujours égal et
l'âme tranquille, réunit une dernière fois à sa table ses familiers ordinaires.
Au dehors, les chrétiens accourus ne voulurent pas de toute la nuit s'éloigner
du maître et du père ; c'était, lui vivant, la première veille de la fête qui
chaque année devait célébrer son triomphe. Conduit au matin chez le proconsul,
il se trouva qu'on lui donna pour siège un fauteuil paré comme les chaires
épiscopales. C'était bien, en effet, une fonction épiscopale qui commençait,
l'office pontifical par excellence de donner sa vie pour l'Eglise en union du
Pontife éternel. L'interrogatoire fut court, on n'espérait pas ébranler
Cyprien. Le juge rendit sa sentence : elle portait que Thascius Cyprien serait frappé du
glaive. On gagna le lieu où elle devait s'accomplir. Les soldats semblaient
former à l'évêque un cortège d'honneur ; lui s'avançait paisible, entouré de
ses clercs comme aux jours des solennités. Une émotion profonde régnait dans la
foule immense d'amis et d'ennemis venus pour assister au sacrifice. L'heure
était arrivée. Le pontife pria, prosterné en terre. Puis, se relevant, il fit
donner vingt-cinq pièces d'or à l'exécuteur, et enleva sa tunique qu'il remit aux
diacres ; lui-même
se banda les yeux ; un prêtre aidé d'un sous-diacre lui lia les mains, tandis que le peuple étendait autour de lui des
linges pour recueillir son sang. Ce fut seulement à la demande de l'évêque, et comme sur son ordre,
que le bourreau tremblant abattit son glaive. Le soir, les fidèles vinrent avec
des flambeaux et des hymnes ensevelir Cyprien. On était au 14 septembre de
l'année 258.
Lisons
d'abord les lignes consacrées parla sainte Liturgie à l'évêque de l'Eglise
mère.
Corneille,
romain d'origine, fut souverain pontife au temps des empereurs Gallus et Volusien. De concert avec une très sainte matrone du nom de Lucine, il transporta des catacombes en un lieu plus convenable
les corps des Apôtres Pierre et Paul. Celui de Paul lut placé par Lucine
dans un terrain qu'elle possédait sur la voie d'Ostie, près du lieu où il avait
été frappé du glaive ; Corneille déposa celui du Prince des Apôtres non loin
également de l'endroit où on l'avait crucifié. Ce fait, comme celui de la
conversion d'un grand nombre de personnes au Christ par ses soins, étant
dénoncé aux empereurs, on l'envoya en exil à Centumcelles,
où vinrent le consoler les lettres de saint Cyprien, évêque de Carthage.
Le commerce
de charité chrétienne qui s'établit entre eux de cette manière ayant par sa
fréquence irrité les empereurs, Corneille fut rappelé à Rome. On le frappa
comme criminel de lèse-majesté avec des fouets armés de plomb, et on l'entraîna
pour sacrifier à l'idole de Mars. Sur son refus de se prêter à une impiété
aussi détestable, il fut décapité le dix-huit des calendes d'octobre. La
bienheureuse Lucine, aidée des clercs, ensevelit son corps
dans un arénaire qui lui appartenait près du cimetière de Calliste. Son pontificat
fut environ de deux années.
L'Église
emprunte à saint Jérôme l'éloge qu'elle fait aujourd'hui de saint Cyprien.
Du
livre de saint Jérôme, Prêtre, sur les Écrivains ecclésiastiques.
Cyprien
enseigna d'abord la rhétorique avec gloire dans l'Afrique, sa patrie. Le prêtre
Caecilius, dont il prit son surnom, l'ayant ensuite
persuadé de se faire chrétien, il distribua tous ses biens aux pauvres. Bientôt
appelé au presbytérat, il fut aussi fait évêque de Carthage. Il serait superflu
de relever son génie ou d'en énumérer les fruits, ses œuvres étant plus
éclatantes que le soleil. Il souffrit sous les empereurs Valérien et Gallien,
dans la huitième persécution, le même jour que Corneille à Rome, non cependant
la même année.
Saints
Pontifes, unis dans la gloire comme vous le fûtes par l'amitié et le martyre,
gardez en nous le fruit de vos exemples et de votre enseignement. Votre vie
nous montre à mépriser pour le Christ la fortune et les honneurs, à réserver
pour son Eglise un dévouement dont le monde n'est pas
digne. Puissent-ils le comprendre, ces descendants de tant de races illustres
qu'écarte comme en vos temps la défiance d'une société dévoyée ; puissent-ils
comme vous déjouer la conjuration qui s'est promis de les éteindre dans
l'ignominieux oubli d'une oisiveté inféconde. Si bien méritants de l'humanité
qu'aient été leurs pères, des mérites nouveaux s'offrent à eux dans une sphère
plus haute où la déchéance est inconnue, où le bien produit dure toujours.
Aux plus petits comme aux
premiers de la cité sainte, rappelez que la paix et la guerre ont également leurs fleurs, dont se
forme le diadème glorieux du soldat du Christ : la blanche couronne des œuvres
s'offre à quiconque ne saurait espérer la couronne empourprée du martyre (Cypr.
Epist. VIII, Ad martyres et
confessores).
Veillez,
o Cyprien, sur votre Église de Cartilage renaissant après tant d'années. Rendez
à Rome, ô Corneille, son glorieux passé ; chassez d'elle l'étranger qui se dit
son maître : souveraine du monde, elle n'est point faite pour obéir à d'autres
qu'au Roi des rois dans son Vicaire sur terre. Puisse la délivrance être
prochaine, et devenir pour les peuples le signal d'un relèvement qui ne saurait
plus tarder, si l'univers n'a pas achevé ses destinées.
Entre les vierges, Euphémie de Chalcédoine eut
l'honneur de voir assembler le quatrième concile œcuménique dans l'église
dédiée à son nom ; c'est sur sa tombe que fut promulguée la condamnation de
l'impie Eutychès, et vengée l'intégralité de la double nature de l'Epoux, homme
et Dieu. La grande martyre sembla conserver d'un si auguste
souvenir une prédilection poulies hautes études concernant la doctrine sacrée ;
à Paris, la faculté de théologie l'honorait comme patronne spéciale, et Euphémie avait comme élu domicile dans l'antique Sorbonne, où
l'on gardait en singulière vénération une part importante de ses reliques
saintes. Recommandons-nous de son puissant crédit auprès du Seigneur, sans
oublier la sainte veuve Lucie, ni le noble personnage du nom de Géminien
que Rome honore avec elle en ce jour.
ORAISON.
Seigneur,
donnez pour notre joie efficacité à nos prières ; nous rendons le tribut annuel
de notre dévotion au jour où souffrirent vos saints Martyrs Euphémie,
Lucie et Géminien : puissions-nous en plus imiter la
constance de leur foi. Par Jésus-Christ.
SAINT CORNEILLE ET SAINT CYPRIEN *
Corneille
signifie qui comprend la circoncision. En effet, il comprit et conserva un
grand détachement pour les choses superflues, les licites et même les
nécessaires. Corneille peut venir aussi de corne, et de léos, peuple, comme si on disait la corne ou la force du peuple. Cyprien
vient de cypro, mélange et ano, en haut; ou bien de cypro, qui
signifie tristesse ou héritage. Car il allia la grâce à la vertu, la tristesse
pour le péché à l’héritage des joies célestes.
Corneille, pape,
succéda à saint Fabien. Décius, césar, le relégua en exil
avec ses clercs: ce fut là que saint Cyprien, évêque de Carthage, lui adressa
des lettres d'encouragement. Enfin, il fut ramené de l’exil et présenté à Décius, et comme il restait inébranlable, l’empereur le lit
meurtrir avec des fouets garnis de plomb, puis il ordonna de le conduire au
temple de Mars, pour y sacrifier ou pour y subir la peine capitale. Or, pendant
qu'on l’y conduisait, un soldat le sollicita de se détourner pour aller à sa
maison prier en faveur de sa femme Sallustia, paralysée
depuis cinq ans. Cette femme ayant été guérie par sa prière, vingt soldats avec
elle et son mari se convertirent. Ils furent tous conduits, par l’ordre de Décius, au. temple de Mars, sur la statue duquel ils crachèrent;
et ils reçurent le martyre avec saint Corneille. Il pâtit vers l’an du Seigneur
256.
Cyprien, évêque
de Carthage, fut amené à Paternus, proconsul en cette
ville. Comme on ne pouvait le faire varier dans la foi, il fut envoyé en exil.
Il en fut rappelé par le proconsul Galérius, successeur de
Paternus, et condamné à avoir la tête tranchée; quand on
porta la sentence, il répondit: « Deo gratias.
Je rends grâces à Dieu. » Parvenu au lieu du supplice avec le bourreau, il
commanda aux siens de donner vingt-cinq pièces d'or à cet homme pour son
salaire. Alors il prit un linge, se couvrit les yeux de sa main et reçut ainsi
la couronne vers l’an du Seigneur 256.
* Bréviaire et actes
authentiques
La Légende dorée de Jacques de Voragine nouvellement traduite en français avec
introduction, notices, notes et recherches sur les sources par l'abbé J.-B. M.
Roze, chanoine honoraire de la Cathédrale d'Amiens, Édouard Rouveyre, éditeur,
76, rue de Seine, 76, Paris mdcccci
16 septembre
Saints
Corneille et Cyprien
Après la mort du pape Fabien (20 janvier 250) qui fut une
des premières victimes de la persécution de Dèce, la vacance du siège
apostolique se prolongea pendant quinze mois au bout desquels, en mars 251, le
clergé et les fidèles de Rome (environ trente mille personnes) purent enfin se
réunir pour élire pape le prêtre romain Corneille, fils de Castinus. Saint
Cyprien écrivit à un autre évêque, à propos du pape Corneille : Il
a passé par toutes les fonctions de l’Eglise, il a bien servi le Seigneur dans
les divers emplois qui lui ont été confiés, en sorte qu’il n’est monté au faîte
sublime du sacerdoce qu’en gravissant tous les degrés ecclésiastiques. Malheureusement,
une partie de la communauté romaine refusa l’élection de Corneille au profit du
savant Novatien, prêtre ordonné par le pape Fabien, qui refusait énergiquement
de réconcilier les lapsi[1] que
Corneille absolvait pouvu qu’ils reconnussent leur faute et fissent
pénitence ; ce schisme s’étendit à toute l’Italie, à la Gaule et à
l’Afrique où Cyprien de Carthage soutenait vigoureusement Corneille. A
l’automne 251, Corneille réunit un synode où siégèrent soixante évêques, qui
excommunia Novatien[2],
mesure qui, grâce à Fabius d’Antioche et à Denys d’Alexandrie, fut adoptée en
Orient. Ces évènement n’empéchèrent pas le pape Corneille d’organiser le clergé
de Rome et les institutions caritatives.
A la fin de l'année de 251, alors que les frontières de
l’Empire étaient gravement menacées par les Goths et les Sassanides, une
terrible peste secoua plusieurs provinces. Les païens accusant les Chrétiens
d'avoir provoqué la colère des dieux, l'empereur Gallus (251-253) rouvrit la
persécution. Dès le début de la persécution, Corneille fut arrêté et,
solidement défendu par les nombreux fidèles qui l'accompagnèrent jusqu'au tribunal,
il ne fut condamné qu'à l'exil à Centum Cellæ (Civita-Vecchia) où il mourut,
probablement en juin 253 ; son corps fut transporté à Rome et enterré dans
la crypte de Lucine, proche de la catacombe Saint-Callixte, sur la voie
Apienne, le 14 septembre 253.
Saint Cyprien, ancien avocat converti, devenu évêque de
Carthage, fut un des grands pontifes africains du III° siècle. Il fut décapité
le 14 septembre 258 : Il convient que ce soit dans la ville où il est
à la tête de l’Eglise qu’un évêque confesse le Seigneur et qu’ainsi le
rayonnement de sa confession rejaillisse sur tout le peuple. Saint Cyprien
est fêté en même temps que le pape Corneille parce qu’il entretenait avec lui
une grande amitié : Si l’un fait à l’un de nous la grâce de mourir
bientôt, lui avait-il écrit, que notre amitié se continue auprès
du Seigneur.
Né à Carthage, entre 200 et 210, de riches parents
païens, Thascius Cæcilius Cyprianus fut d’abord rhéteur, puis, vers 246, gagné
au christianisme par le prêtre Cæcilianus, il fut baptisé. Devenu évêque de
Carthage, vers 248, son activité pastorale fut interrompue par la persécution
de Dèce (250) qui l’obligea à se tenir caché près de Carthage. Après la
persécution, comme saint Cyprien avait repoussé la prétention des confesseurs
qui demandaient une réconciliation immédiate pour les lapsi, un
parti de mécontents se forma sous la direction du diacre Felicissimus. Cinq
prêtres qui s’étaient opposés à l’épiscopat de Cyprien, donnèrent leur adhésion
et l’un d’eux Novat se rendit bientôt après à Rome et y soutint le schisme de
Novatien. Au printemps de 251, saint Cyprien put retourner à Carthage. Dans un
synode, il chassa de l’Église les chefs des opposants et décida que les sacrificati et les thurificati[3], même
s’ils se convertissaient, devraient faire une sévère pénitence ; cependant
si une nouvelle persécution éclatait, ils pourraient, même avant l’expiration
de la durée de leur pénitence, recevoir l’Eucharistie pour avoir la force de
lutter. Pendant la peste qui ravagea certaines provinces de l’Empire, saint
Cyprien organisa héroïquement les secours aux malades.
Le 14 septembre au matin, une grande foule se
rassembla au Champ de Sextus, sur l’ordre du proconsul Galère Maxime. Ce
proconsul ordonna que Cyprien lui fût présenté le jour même quand il siégerait
au Portique des exécutions. Lorsque l’évêque Cyprien fut amené, le proconsul
lui demanda: «C’est toi qui es Thascius Cyprien ? - C’est moi.» Le
proconsul : «C’est toi qui prétends être le chef d’hommes aux doctrines
sacrilèges ? - C’est moi. - Les très saints empereurs ont ordonné que tu
sacrifies aux dieux. - Je ne le ferai pas.» Galère Maxime lui dit: «Réfléchis.»
Cyprien répondit : «Fais ce qu’on t’a commandé. Dans une affaire aussi
juste, il n’y a pas à réfléchir.» Le proconsul, après avoir délibéré avec son
conseil, se décida enfin à prononcer sa sentence. Il parla ainsi : «Tu as
longtemps vécu dans une doctrine sacrilège et tu as rassemblé beaucoup de gens
autour de toi pour un complot criminel ; tu t’es dressé en ennemi des
dieux de Rome et de leurs rites sacrés ; nos religieux et saints
souverains, Valérien et Gallien, nos Augustes, et Valérien, notre très noble
César, n’ont pu te ramener à la pratique de leur culte. Et c’est pourquoi,
parce que tu as été convaincu d’être l’auteur et le propagateur de crimes
infâmes, tu serviras de leçon à ceux que tu as associés à ton forfait ;
l’ordre public sera consacré par ton sang.» Après ce discours, il lut sa
décision sur une tablette : «Nous ordonnons que Tascius Cyprien soit
châtié par le glaive.» Cyprien dit: «Je rends grâce à Dieu.»
[1] Les lapsi étaient des chrétiens qui s’étaient rendus coupables
d’apostasie pendant les persécutions
.
[2]
Novatien qui avait réuni autour de lui un puissant parti, les purs
(ou katharoi), se fit consacrer évêque et devint le premier
antipape de l’histoire de l’Eglise. Novatien, dit Socrate, écrivit à
toutes les Eglises qu’il ne fallait pas admettre aux saints mystères ceux qui
avaient sacrifié mais les exhorter à la pénitence en laissant à Dieu le soin de
leur pardonner car seul il peut remettre les péchés. Certains évêques,
comme Marcianus d’Arle, entrèrent en communion avec Novatien, et d’autres,
comme Fabius d’Antioche restèrent hésitants, tandis que la plupart, comme saint
Cyprien de Carthage restaient unis au Pape. L’Eglise novatienne, outre qu’elle
excluait pour toujours les apostats et les coupables de péché mortel de la
communauté chrétienne, tenaient pour invalides les baptêmes donnés hors de ses
rangs et s’imposait un stricte règle ascétique ; comme, en Orient, ils se rencontrèrent
avec les montanistes, ils poussèrent plus loin leur rigorisme en déclarant
illicites les secondes noces et refusant l’absolution aux coupables de
fornication et d’adultère. En Occident, ils furent assez puissants pour que
l’évêque Réticius d’Autun rédigeât contre eux un gros volume (315), pour
qu’Innocent I° écrivît à leur sujet à l’évêque Victrice de Rouen, pour que
l’évêque Pacien de Barcelone dût s’en défendre, pour que saint Ambroise
consacrât son traité De pænitentiæ à réfuter leurs doctrines.
Constantin offrit aux Novatiens des conditions faciles de réconciliation puis
tenta d’exterminer ceux qui restaient, mais, à la faveur des persécutions de
Julien l’Apostat, ils purent se reconstituer. Il fallut attendre le V° siècle
pour les voir disparaître d’Occident et le VIII° siècle pour n’en plus entendre
parler en Orient.
[3] Lapsi qui avaient offert des sacrifices aux divinités païennes (sacrificati) ou qui avaient brûlé l’encens à leurs autels (thurificati).
L’un et l’autre furent en butte à la même hérésie, celle
des Novatiens. Le savant Novatien était fort célèbre dans l’Eglise de Rome, au
temps du pape Fabien qui l’avait ordonné prêtre. Pendant la persécution de
Dèce, après que le pape Fabien eut été martyrisé (20 janvier 250), on resta
quatorze mois sans pouvoir réunir le collège électoral et Novatien participait
activement au gouvernement de l’Eglise, mais les électeurs lui préférèrent
Corneille. Rigoriste à l’extrême, Novatien reprochant au pape Corneille
d’admettre à l’absolution et à la communion des chrétiens qui s’étaient rendus
coupables d’apostasie pendant les persécutions, les lapsi, réunit
autour de lui un puissant parti, se fit consacrer évêque et devint le premier
antipape de l’histoire de l’Eglise. Peut-être fut-il lui aussi éloigné de Rome
pendant la persécution de Gallus ; nul ne sait plus rien de certain sur lui,
encore que Socrate dit qu’il fut martyrisé sous Valérien, mais ses fidèles
tentèrent de poursuivre son œuvre.
Bien que rapidement excommunié par un synode romain réuni
sous le pape Corneille, Novatien, dit Socrate, écrivit à toutes les
Eglises qu’il ne fallait pas admettre aux saints mystères ceux qui avaient
sacrifié mais les exhorter à la pénitence en laissant à Dieu le soin de leur
pardonner car seul il peut remettre les péchés. Certains évêques, comme
Marcianus d’Arle, entrèrent en communion avec Novatien, et d’autres, comme
Fabius d’Antioche restèrent hésitants, tandis que la plupart, comme saint
Cyprien de Carthage restaient unis au Pape. Les fidèles de l’Eglise novatienne
qui se nommaient eux-mêmes les purs, outre qu’ils excluaient pour
toujours les apostats et les coupables de péché mortel de la communauté
chrétienne, tenaient pour invalides les baptêmes donnés hors de leurs rangs et
s’imposaient un stricte règle ascétique ; comme, en Orient, ils se rencontrèrent
avec les montanistes, ils poussèrent plus loin leur rigorisme en déclarant
illicites les secondes noces et refusant l’absolution aux coupables de
fornication et d’adultère. Ils furent assez puissants en Occident pour que
l’évêque Réticius d’Autun rédigeât contre eux un grand volume (315), pour que
le pape Innocent I° écrivît à leur sujet à l’évêque Victrice de Rouen, pour que
l’évêque Pacien de Barcelone dût s’en défendre, pour que saint Ambroise
consacrât son traité De pænitentiæ à réfuter leurs doctrines.
Constantin offrit aux Novatiens des conditions faciles de réconciliation puis
tenta d’exterminer ceux qui restaient, mais, à la faveur des persécutions de
Julien l’Apostat, ils purent se reconstituer. Il fallut attendre le V° siècle
pour les voir disparaître d’Occident et le VIII° siècle pour n’en plus entendre
parler en Orient.
Pope Cornelius
We may accept the statement
of the Liberian catalogue that he reigned
two years, three months, and ten days, for Lipsius,
Lightfoot, and Harnack have shown that this list is a first-rate authority for
this date. His predecessor, Fabian,
was put to death
by Decius, 20
January, 250. About the beginning of March, 251 the persecution slackened, owing to the absence of
the emperor, against whom two rivals had arisen. It was possible to assemble
sixteen bishops at Rome, and Cornelius was elected
though against his will (Cyprian, Ep. lv,
24), "by the judgment of God and of Christ, by the testimony of almost all the
clergy, by the vote of the people then present,
by the consent of aged priests and of good
men, at a time when no one had been made
before him, when the place of Fabian, that
is the place of Peter, and the step of the sacerdotal chair were vacant".
"What fortitude in
his acceptance of the episcopate,
what strength of mind, what firmness of faith, that he took his seat intrepid in
the sacerdotal
chair, at a time when the tyrant in his hatred of bishops was making unspeakable threats,
when he heard with far more patience that a rival prince was arising against
him, than that a bishop of God was appointed at Rome" (ibid., 9). Is he not, asks St. Cyprian, to be numbered among the glorious
confessors and martyrs who sat so long awaiting the sword
or the cross or the stake and every other
torture?
A few weeks later the Roman
priest Novatian made himself antipope, and the whole Christian world was convulsed by the schism at Rome. But the adhesion of St. Cyprian secured to Cornelius the hundred bishops of Africa,
and the influence of St. Dionysius the
Great, Bishop of Alexandria, brought the East
within a few months to a right decision. In
Italy itself the pope got together a synod
of sixty bishops.
(See NOVATIAN.)
Fabius, Bishop of Antioch, seems to have wavered. Three
letters to him from Cornelius were known to Eusebius, who gives extracts from one of
them (Church History VI.43), in
which the pope details
the faults in Novatian's election
and conduct with considerable bitterness. We incidentally learn that in the Roman Church there were forty-six priests, seven deacons, seven subdeacons, forty-two acolytes, fifty-two ostiarii,
and over one thousand five hundred widows and persons in distress. From this Burnet
estimated the number of Christians in Rome at fifty thousand, so also Gibbon;
but Benson and Harnack think this figure possibly too large. Pope
Fabian had made seven regions; it appears that each had one deacon, one subdeacon and six acolytes. Of the letters of Cornelius to Cyprian two have come down to us,
together with nine from Cyprian to the pope. Mgr. Merrati has shown that in the
true text the letters of Cornelius are
in the colloquial "vulgar-Latin" of the day, and not in the more
classical style affected by the ex-orator Cyprian and the learned philosopher Novatian. Cornelius sanctioned
the milder measures proposed by St. Cyprian and accepted by his Carthaginian
council of 251 for the restoration to communion,
after varying forms of penance,
of those who had fallen during the Decian persecution (see CYPRIAN).
At the beginning of 252 a new persecution suddenly broke out. Cornelius was exiled to Centumcellæ (Civita Vecchia). There were no defections among the Roman Christians; all were confessors. The pope "led his brethren in confession", writes Cyprian (Ep. lx, ad Corn.), with a manifest reference to the confession of St. Peter. "With one heart and one voice the whole Roman Church confessed. Then was seen, dearest Brother, that faith which the blessed Apostle praised in you (Romans 1:8); even then he foresaw in spirit your glorious fortitude and firm strength." In June Cornelius died a martyr, as St. Cyprian repeatedly calls him. The Liberian catalogue has ibi cum gloriâ dormicionem accepit, and this may mean that he died of the rigours of his banishment, though later accounts say that he was beheaded. St. Jerome says that Cornelius and Cyprian suffered on the same day in different years, and his careless statement has been generally followed. The feast of St. Cyprian was in fact kept at Rome at the tomb of Cornelius, for the fourth century "Depositio Martirum" has "XVIII kl octob Cypriani Africæ Romæ celebratur in Callisti". St. Cornelius was not buried in the chapel of the popes, but in an adjoining catacomb, perhaps that of a branch of the noble Cornelii. His inscription is in Latin: CORNELIUS* MARTYR* whereas those of Fabian and Lucius are in Greek (Northcote and Brownlow, "Roma sotteranea", I, vi). His feast is kept with that of St. Cyprian on 14 September, possibly the day of his translation from Centumcellæ to the catacombs.
Sources
At the beginning of 252 a new persecution suddenly broke out. Cornelius was exiled to Centumcellæ (Civita Vecchia). There were no defections among the Roman Christians; all were confessors. The pope "led his brethren in confession", writes Cyprian (Ep. lx, ad Corn.), with a manifest reference to the confession of St. Peter. "With one heart and one voice the whole Roman Church confessed. Then was seen, dearest Brother, that faith which the blessed Apostle praised in you (Romans 1:8); even then he foresaw in spirit your glorious fortitude and firm strength." In June Cornelius died a martyr, as St. Cyprian repeatedly calls him. The Liberian catalogue has ibi cum gloriâ dormicionem accepit, and this may mean that he died of the rigours of his banishment, though later accounts say that he was beheaded. St. Jerome says that Cornelius and Cyprian suffered on the same day in different years, and his careless statement has been generally followed. The feast of St. Cyprian was in fact kept at Rome at the tomb of Cornelius, for the fourth century "Depositio Martirum" has "XVIII kl octob Cypriani Africæ Romæ celebratur in Callisti". St. Cornelius was not buried in the chapel of the popes, but in an adjoining catacomb, perhaps that of a branch of the noble Cornelii. His inscription is in Latin: CORNELIUS* MARTYR* whereas those of Fabian and Lucius are in Greek (Northcote and Brownlow, "Roma sotteranea", I, vi). His feast is kept with that of St. Cyprian on 14 September, possibly the day of his translation from Centumcellæ to the catacombs.
Sources
The two Latin
letters will be found in all editions of CYPRIAN. A better text is in MERCATI, D'alcuni
muori sussidi per la critica del texto di S. Cipriano (Rome, 1899). They
will be found with the fragments in COUSTANT, Epp. Rom. Pontt. and in
ROUTH, Reliquæ Sacræ. There is a spurious letter to St. Cyprian in the
appendix to his works, another to Lupicinus of Vienne, and two more were forged
by Pseudo-Isidore. All these will be found in the collections of councils and
in MIGNE. The pseudo-Cyprianic Ad Novatianum is attributed to
Cornelius by NELKE, Die Chronol. der Correspondenz Cyprians (Thorn,
1902); but it is by an unknown contemporary. On Cornelius see
TILLEMONT, III; Acta SS. 14 Sept.; BENSON, Cyprian (London,
1897). The Acta of St. Cornelius are valueless.
Chapman, John. "Pope Cornelius." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 16 Sept. 2015 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04375c.htm>.
Chapman, John. "Pope Cornelius." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 16 Sept. 2015 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04375c.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for
New Advent by WGKofron. With thanks to Fr. John Hilkert, Akron, Ohio.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John
M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04375c.htm
THE HOLY pope Fabian having been crowned with martyrdom on the 20th of January, in the year 250, the see of Rome remained vacant above sixteen months, the clergy and people not being able all that while, through the violence of the persecution, to assemble for the election of a bishop. St. Cyprian says, that such was the rage of the persecutor Decius, that he would more easily have suffered a competitor in his empire than a bishop in Rome. At length, however, when that emperor was taken up in opposing the revolt of Julius Valens, or in his wars against the Goths, at a distance from Rome, Cornelius was chosen to fill the apostolic chair in 251. St. Cyprian testifies that he was a person of an unblemished character and virginal purity, remarkable for his humility; meek, modest, peaceable, and adorned with all other virtues; that he was not advanced to the episcopal dignity on a sudden, but had gone through all the orders of the clergy, as the previous steps, and served the Lord in the functions of each distinct order, as the canons require. At the time of St. Fabian’s death he was a priest in the Roman church, and had the chief share in the direction of affairs during the vacancy of the holy see. Far from aiming at, or desiring the supreme dignity in the church to which he was raised, he suffered violence, says the same St. Cyprian, and was promoted to it by force and compulsion. In this we see the character of the Spirit of God, which teaches holy men in humility and distrust sincerely to fear and decline such posts, which presumption, vanity and ambition make others seek and invade, who by this mark alone, are sufficiently proved to be most unworthy. And Cornelius, by gradually proceeding through all the functions of the ministry, according to the spirit of the church, had attained all the graces and virtues by which he was qualified for that high station. The election of Cornelius was made by a due assembly of almost all the clergy of Rome; a great number also of the laity, who were present, consented to and demanded his ordination. The concurring suffrages of sixteen ancient and worthy bishops, (two of whom were Africans,) who happened then to be in Rome, confirmed the same, and the elect was compelled to receive the episcopal consecration. St. Cyprian and other bishops, according to custom, despatched to him letters of communion and congratulation. Matters were thus settled when the devil found in Novatian an instrument to disturb the peace of the church.
This man had been a Stoic philosopher, and had gained a considerable reputation by his eloquence. He at length embraced the faith, but continued a catechumen, till, falling dangerously ill, and his life being despaired of, he was baptized in bed, not by immersion, which was then the most usual method, but by infusion, or the pouring on of water. Recovering, he received not the seal of the Lord by the hand of the bishop, says St. Pacian, that is to say, the sacrament of confirmation. Both these defects were, by the ancient discipline of the church, bars to holy orders. The Clinici, or persons who had been baptized in bed in time of sickness, were declared irregular, and excluded from the priesthood; not as if such a baptism was defective, but in detestation of the sloth and lukewarmness by which such persons put off their baptism till they were in immediate danger of death. Novatian, notwithstanding this double irregularity, was afterwards ordained priest. The persecution coming on, he kept himself shut up in his house; and when the deacons solicited him to go and assist his brethren, he went away in a rage, saying he would no longer serve the church, being fond of another kind of philosophy. Afterwards, with a view to make himself conspicuous by opposing the pastors, he became very rigid, and complained that some who had fallen in the persecution were too easily admitted again. By this pharisaical zeal he made a small party, and counted some among the confessors who were in prison at Rome in his interest. He was much emboldened in his cabals by Novatus, a wicked priest of Carthage. This man having strenuously abetted the deacon Felicissimus in the schism which he raised against St. Cyprian, about the beginning of the year 251, to avoid the sentence of excommunication with which St. Cyprian threatened him, fled to Rome, and there, joining Novatian, either first stirred him up to commence an open schism, or at least very much encouraged him in it. So notoriously were ambition and faction the aim of this turbulent man, that though at Carthage he had condemned the conduct of St. Cyprian towards the lapsed as too severe, he was not ashamed to ground his schism at Rome upon the opposite principle, calling there the self-same discipline of the church a criminal relaxation of the law of the gospel.
To frame a clear conception of this controversy, it is necessary to observe that those Christians who in the persecution had offered incense to idols, were called Sacrificati and Thurificati; others who purchased with money of the imperial officers libels or certificates of safety, as if they had offered sacrifice, (by which they were guilty of the same scandal,) were called Libellatici, or certificate-men. All the lapsed, upon giving marks of sincere repentance, were admitted by the church to a course of severe canonical penance, which was shorter and milder with regard to the certificate-men than to apostates; which term being completed, (or abridged by an indulgence given by the bishop,) they were received to communion. If any penitent, during the course of his penance, happened to be in danger of death the benefit of absolution and communion was granted him. This discipline was confirmed by several councils at Rome, in Africa, and other places, and at this Novatian took offence, pretending that the lapsed ought never to be again admitted to penance, or to receive absolution, not even after having performed any course of penance, or in the article of their death. Yet he did not bid them despair, but left them to the divine mercy, exhorting them privately (though excluded from the communion of the rest of the faithful) to make application to God for mercy, hoping that he would be moved to show them compassion at the last day. Novatian soon added heresy to his schism, maintaining that the church had not received from Christ power to absolve sinners from the crime of apostacy, how penitent soever they might be. His followers afterwards taught the same of murder and fornication, and condemned second marriages. 1 His disciples were called Novatians and Cathari, that is, pure. Having separated many persons from the communion of Cornelius, he decoyed three bishops from a corner of Italy, to come to Rome, and ordain him bishop of that city. One of these bishops returned soon after to the church, bewailing and confessing his guilt, and was admitted by St. Cornelius to lay-communion; for he remained deposed from his dignity, as well as the two other bishops who were concerned with him, and Pope Cornelius sent others to fill up their sees. Thus Novatian was the first anti-pope, though he was author not only of a schism, but also of a heresy, and was acknowledged bishop only by heretics. On account of his errors he is called by St. Cyprian, 2 “A deserter of the church, an enemy to all tenderness, a very murderer of penance, a teacher of pride, a corrupter of the truth, and a destroyer of charity.”
St. Cornelius assembled at Rome a synod of sixty bishops, in which he confirmed the canons, by which it was ordained to admit the lapsed that were penitent to public penance; and bishops and priests, who had fallen, only to the rank of laymen, without power of exercising any sacerdotal function. Novation, who was there present, and obstinately refused to communicate with such penitents, was excommunicated. The confessors, Maximus a priest, Urbanus, Sidonius, Celerinus, and Moses, who had been seduced by Novatian to favour his schism, were disabused by the letters of St. Cyprian and the evidence of truth and justice, and were all received to communion by St. Cornelius, to the great joy of the people, as appears from a letter of this pope to St. Cyprian, 3 and from a fragment of the last of his four letters to Fabius, bishop of Antioch, preserved by Eusebius. This historian informs us that there were in the church of Rome, in the time of Pope Cornelius, forty-six priests, seven deacons, seven sub-deacons, forty-two acolytes, fifty-two exorcists, lectors, and janitors, or door-keepers, and one thousand five hundred widows and other poor persons whom the church maintained.
St. Cyprian exceedingly extols the zeal and piety with which St. Cornelius behaved in his pastoral charge; and the courage and steadfastness with which he adhered to his duty in the most perilous times. “Should not he be ranked among the most illustrious martyrs and confessors,” says he, “who continued so long under the expectation of tormentors and savage executioners from the enraged tyrant, to mangle his body; to behead, or to burn, or to crucify: or, with some new and unexampled invention of malice and cruelty to tear and torture the bowels of this intrepid champion, opposing the dreadful edicts, and, through the mighty power of his faith, despising the torments wherewith he was threatened! Though the goodness of God hath hitherto protected his bishop, yet Cornelius gave sufficient evidence of his love and fidelity, by being ready to suffer all he could suffer, and by his zeal conquering the tyrant (Decius) first, who was soon after conquered in battle.” 4 Our saint, who deserved by his constancy to be ranked among the martyrs in the persecution of Decius, attained to his crown a short time after. Decius being defeated by the Goths in Thrace, perished in a bog, towards the end of the year 251, and was succeeded by Gallus, the general of his army, who had betrayed him. The respite which this revolution seemed to give the church was of a short continuance. A pestilence which ravaged the empire, alarmed the superstition of the new emperor, who thought he should appease the anger of his false gods by taking vengeance on the Christians, though his persecution is called by most writers a part of the seventh, or a continuation of that of Decius, whose edicts he put more rigorously in execution than that emperor himself had ever done. Pope Cornelius was the first person who was apprehended at Rome. Having made a glorious confession of his faith, he was sent into banishment to Centumcellæ, now called Civita Vecchia. St. Cyprian wrote him a congratulatory letter upon the news of his happiness in suffering for Christ. 5 In this epistle he clearly foretels the approaching conflicts of them both, and says God had, by a special revelation, warned him of his own, and that he therefore earnestly exhorted his people to prepare for it in continual watchfulness, fasting, and prayer. He adds: “Whoever of us shall be first favoured with a removal hence, let our charity persevere with the Lord for our brethren in never-ceasing prayers unto the Father for our brethren and sisters.”
St. Cornelius was called to eternal bliss in 252, on the 14th of September, on the same day on which St. Cyprian was martyred six years after, though they are commemorated together in the present Roman Martyrology on the 16th. The Liberian Calendar mentions, that St. Cornelius having been banished to Centumcellæ, slept in the Lord on the 14th of this month. St. Jerom tells us, in his life of St. Cyprian, that this holy pope was brought back from Centumcellæ to Rome, and there suffered death, which is confirmed by Eusebius in his chronicle, by St. Prosper in his, by St. Eulogius of Alexandria, quoted by Photius, (Bibl. p. 1622.) St. Pacianus, (ep. 2, ad. Symphor.) St. Cyprian, writing to his successor St. Lucius, (ep. 58,) and in a letter to the next pope, Stephen, (ep. 67,) styles Cornelius a blessed martyr. His relics were first interred in the cemetery of Calixtus, where St. Leo. I. built a chapel in honour of them; Adrian I. placed them in a stately church, which he built in the city to bear his name, as Anastasius relates. In the reign of Charles, the son of Lewis Debonnaire, the sacred remains of St. Cornelius were translated to Compeigne in France, 6 where the emperor built a church and monastery of canons to receive them, which in 1150 was put in the hands of Benedictine monks; of which famous abbey of St. Cornelius a considerable portion of these relics is to this day esteemed the richest treasure. The head and one arm were removed to the abbey of Inda, on the river of that name, near Aix la Chapelle, and there honoured with pilgrimages to this day, and miracles. Part of this arm and other bones were translated from Inda to Rotnay, or Rosnay, formerly a monastery founded by St. Amand, in the diocess of Cambray, now in that of Mechlin, between Courtray and Tourney, and converted long since into a collegiate church of canons. 7
St. Irenæus, Origen, and other fathers observe, that most of the heretics were spared in the persecutions, which fell either solely, or at least most heavily upon the Catholics. This was sometimes owing to the subterfuges of the heretics, often to the persecutors. St. Cyprian, in his last letter to Pope Cornelius, 8 makes the same remark concerning the Novatians; but attributes it to the devil: “Who,” says he, “are the servants of God, whom the devil so molests? Who are truly Christians, whom Antichrist with all his might opposes? For the devil troubles not himself with those whom he hath already made sure of, nor does he labour to conquer those who are now in his power. The great enemy of the church overlooks them as his captives and passes them by without thinking them worth his notice, whom he hath already seduced and alienated from the church, and employs his pains and stratagems upon those in whom he observes Christ to dwell. Although, if it should so happen, that one of that wretched company should be seized, he could have no reason to flatter himself with any hopes upon his confession of Christ; since it is an agreed rule, that whoever suffers without the church, is so far from being entitled to the crown of faith, that he continues obnoxious to the punishment of having forsaken it.”
Note 1. On these errors of the Novatians see Bellarm. l. 3, de Eccl. Milit. c. 2. Juenin de Pœnit. c. 1, qu. 1. Albaspinæus, Observ. Eccl. l. 2, c. 21. Orsi, De Criminum Capitalium inter veteres Christianos Absolutione, p. 251. Mosheim, Instit. Histor. Eccl. sæc. 3, part. 2, sect. 14. Nat. Alex. sæc. 3, &c. [back]
Note 2. Ep. 57, Pam. 60, Fello. p. 172. [back]
Note 3. Inter. Cyprian, ep. 46, ed. Pam. 49, ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 4. S. Cypr. ep. 55, ad Antonian. [back]
Note 5. Compeigne was a royal palace in the reign of the children of Clovis I. as appears from St. Gregory of Tours. The Emperor Charles the Bald built here a stately church adjoining to his palace with a cloister, in which he placed one hundred canons and other clergymen. When he was crowned emperor by John VIII. in 875, that pope made him a present of the bodies of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, which he deposited in this church, which he called SS. Cornelius and Cyprian’s. Pope Eugenius III. and King Lewis VI. expelled the canons, and placed in this royal monastery monks from St. Denys in 1150, which have adopted the reformation of the congregation of S. Maur. [back]
Note 6. Compeigne was a royal palace in the reign of the children of Clovis I. as appears from St. Gregory of Tours. The Emperor Charles the Bald built here a stately church adjoining to his palace with a cloister, in which he placed one hundred canons and other clergymen. When he was crowned emperor by John VIII. in 875, that pope made him a present of the bodies of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, which he deposited in this church, which he called SS. Cornelius and Cyprian’s. Pope Eugenius III. and King Lewis VI. expelled the canons, and placed in this royal monastery monks from St. Denys in 1150, which have adopted the reformation of the congregation of S. Maur. [back]
Note 7. See Pamelius in S. Cypr. Miræus in Fastis, the Bollandists, p. 188, &c. [back]
Note 8. Ep. 57, alias 60, ad Corn. [back]
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume IX: September. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/9/161.html
Synopsis — Cornelius describes the character of Novatian, including an interesting story about an exorcism performed on him. The letter appears mean-spirited and as such the story it describes is suspect, especially coming from a person who perhaps felt threatened by Novatian.
But that you may know that a long time ago this remarkable man desired the episcopate, but kept this ambitious desire to himself and concealed it, — using as a cloak for his rebellion those confessors who had adhered to him from the beginning, — I desire to speak. Maximus, one of our presbyters, and Urbanus, who twice gained the highest honor by confession, with Sidonius, and Celerinus, a man who by the grace of God most heroically endured all kinds of torture, and by the strength of his faith overcame the weakness of the flesh, and mightily conquered the adversary, — these men found him out and detected his craft and duplicity, his perjuries and falsehoods, his unsociability and cruel friendship. And they returned to the holy church and proclaimed in the presence of many, both bishops and presbyters and a large number of the laity, all his craft and wickedness, which for a long time he had concealed. And this they did with lamentations land repentance, because through the persuasions of the crafty and malicious beast they had left the church for the time…How remarkable, beloved brother, the change and transformation which we have seen take place in him in a short time. For this most illustrious man, who bound himself with terrible oaths in nowise to seek the bishopric, suddenly appears a bishop as if thrown among us by some machine. For this dogmatist, this defender of the doctrine of the Church, attempting to grasp and seize the episcopate,
and very simple men. And they asserted positively and strongly that it was necessary that they should come quickly to Rome, in order that all the dissension which had arisen there might be appeased through their mediation, jointly with other bishops. When they had come, being, as we have stated, very simple in the craft and artifice of the wicked, they were shut up with certain selected men like himself. And by the tenth hour, when they had become drunk and sick, he compelled them by force to confer on him the episcopate through a counterfeit and vain imposition of hands. Because it had not come to him, he avenged himself by craft and treachery. One of these bishops shortly after came back to the church, lamenting and confessing his transgression. And we communed with him as with a layman, all the people present interceding for him. And we ordained successors of the other bishops, and sent them to the places where they were. This avenger of the Gospel then did not know that there should be one bishop in a catholic church; yet he was not ignorant (for how could he be?) that in it there were forty-six presbyters, seven deacons, seven sub-deacons, forty-two acolyths, fifty-two exorcists, readers, and janitors, and over fifteen hundred widows and persons in distress, all of whom the grace and kindness of the Master nourish. But not even this great multitude, so necessary in the church, nor those who, through God’s providence, were rich and full, together with the very many, even innumerable people, could turn him from such desperation and presumption and recall him to the Church…Permit us to say further: On account of what works or conduct had he the assurance to contend for the episcopate? Was it that he had been brought up in the Church from the beginning, and had endured many conflicts in her behalf, and had passed through many and great dangers for religion? Truly this is not the fact. But Satan, who entered and dwelt in him for a long time, became the occasion of his believing. Being delivered by the exorcists, he fell into a severe sickness; and as he seemed about to die, he received baptism by affusion, on the bed where he lay; if indeed we can say that such a one did receive it. And when he was healed of his sickness he did not receive the other things which it is necessary to have according to the canon of the Church, even the being sealed by the bishop. And as he did not receive this, how could he receive the Holy Spirit?...In the time of persecution, through coward- ice and love of life, he denied that he was a presbyter. For when he was requested and entreated by the deacons to come out of the chamber in which he had imprisoned himself and give aid to the brethren as far as was lawful and possible for a presbyter to assist those of the brethren who were in danger and needed help, he paid so little respect to the entreaties of the deacons that he went away and departed in anger. For he said that he no longer desired to be a presbyter, as he was an admirer of another philosophy...For this illustrious man forsook the Church of God, in which, when he believed, he was judged worthy of the presbyterate through the favor of the bishop who ordained him to the presbyterial office. This had been resisted by all the clergy and many of the laity; because it was unlawful that one who had been affused on his bed on account of sickness as he had been should enter into any clerical office; but the bishop requested that he might be permitted to ordain this one only…For when he has made the offerings, and distributed a part to each man, as he gives it he compels the wretched man to swear in place of the blessing. Holding his hands in both of his own, he will not release him until he has sworn in this manner (for I will give his own words): Swear to me by the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that you will never forsake me and turn to Cornelius.’ And the unhappy man does not taste until he has called down imprecations on himself; and instead of saying Amen, as he takes the bread, he says, I will never return to Cornelius…But know that he has now been made bare and desolate; as the brethren leave him every day and return to the church. Moses also, the blessed martyr, who lately suffered among us a glorious and admirable martyrdom, while he was yet alive, beholding his boldness and folly, refused to commune with him and with the five presbyters who with him had separated themselves from the church.(Preserved in Eusebius of Caesarea’s Ecclesiastical History 6:43)
Letter To Cyprian of Carthage
Synopsis — Cornelius informs Cyprian of the solemn return of the confessors to the church, and describes it.
letters; that only through being misled they had also committed schismatical acts, and been the authors of heresy, so that they suffered hands to be imposed on him as if upon a bishop. And when these and other matters had been charged upon them, they entreated that they might be done away and altogether discharged from memory.
were expressing the joy of their heart by tears, embracing them as if they had this day been set free from the penalty of the dungeon. And to quote their very own words, — “We,” they say, “know that Cornelius is bishop of the most holy Catholic Church elected by Almighty God, and by Christ our Lord. We confess our error; we have suffered imposture; we were deceived by captious perfidy and loquacity. For although we seemed, as it were, to have held a kind of communion with a man who was a schismatic and a heretic, yet our mind was always sincere in the Church. For we are not ignorant that there is one God; that there is one Christ the Lord whom we have confessed, and one Holy Spirit; and that in the Catholic Church there ought to be one bishop.” Were we not rightly induced by that confession of theirs, to allow that what they had confessed before the power of the world they might approve when established in the Church? Wherefore we bade Maximus the presbyter to take his own place; the rest we received with great approbation of the people. But we remitted all things to Almighty God, in whose power all things are reserved.
Synopsis — Cornelius gives Cyprian an account of the faction of Novatian.
Cornelius to Cyprian his brother, greeting. That nothing might be wanting to the future punishment of this wretched man, when cast down by the powers of God, (on the expulsion by you of Maximus, and Longinus, and Machaeus;) he has risen again; and, as I intimated in my former letter which I sent to you by Augendus the confessor, I think that Nicostratus, and Novatus, and Evaristus, and Primus, and Dionysius, have already come thither. Therefore let care be taken that it be made known to all our co-bishops and brethren, that Nicostratus is accused of many crimes, and that not only has he committed frauds and plunders on his secular patroness, whose affairs he managed; but, moreover (which is reserved to him for a perpetual punishment), he has abstracted no small deposits of the Church; that Evaristus has been the author of a schism; and that Zetus has been appointed bishop in his room, and his successor to the people over whom he had previously presided. But he contrived greater and worse things by his malice and insatiable wickedness than those which he was then always practicing among his own people; so that you may know what kind of leaders and protectors that schismatic and heretic constantly had joined to his side. I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell.
(Cyprian of Carthage’s Letters, Letter 47)
St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr
From Eus. l. 6, c. 43. S. Pacianus, ep. 23. S. Cypr.
ep. 52, ed. Pam. 55, ed. Oxon. ad Antonianum, item ep. 44, &c. ed. Oxon.
See Berti, Diss. Hist. t. 2, p. 167. Orsi and Tillemont, Suysken, t. 3, Sept.
p. 18.
A.D. 252.
THE HOLY pope Fabian having been crowned with martyrdom on the 20th of January, in the year 250, the see of Rome remained vacant above sixteen months, the clergy and people not being able all that while, through the violence of the persecution, to assemble for the election of a bishop. St. Cyprian says, that such was the rage of the persecutor Decius, that he would more easily have suffered a competitor in his empire than a bishop in Rome. At length, however, when that emperor was taken up in opposing the revolt of Julius Valens, or in his wars against the Goths, at a distance from Rome, Cornelius was chosen to fill the apostolic chair in 251. St. Cyprian testifies that he was a person of an unblemished character and virginal purity, remarkable for his humility; meek, modest, peaceable, and adorned with all other virtues; that he was not advanced to the episcopal dignity on a sudden, but had gone through all the orders of the clergy, as the previous steps, and served the Lord in the functions of each distinct order, as the canons require. At the time of St. Fabian’s death he was a priest in the Roman church, and had the chief share in the direction of affairs during the vacancy of the holy see. Far from aiming at, or desiring the supreme dignity in the church to which he was raised, he suffered violence, says the same St. Cyprian, and was promoted to it by force and compulsion. In this we see the character of the Spirit of God, which teaches holy men in humility and distrust sincerely to fear and decline such posts, which presumption, vanity and ambition make others seek and invade, who by this mark alone, are sufficiently proved to be most unworthy. And Cornelius, by gradually proceeding through all the functions of the ministry, according to the spirit of the church, had attained all the graces and virtues by which he was qualified for that high station. The election of Cornelius was made by a due assembly of almost all the clergy of Rome; a great number also of the laity, who were present, consented to and demanded his ordination. The concurring suffrages of sixteen ancient and worthy bishops, (two of whom were Africans,) who happened then to be in Rome, confirmed the same, and the elect was compelled to receive the episcopal consecration. St. Cyprian and other bishops, according to custom, despatched to him letters of communion and congratulation. Matters were thus settled when the devil found in Novatian an instrument to disturb the peace of the church.
This man had been a Stoic philosopher, and had gained a considerable reputation by his eloquence. He at length embraced the faith, but continued a catechumen, till, falling dangerously ill, and his life being despaired of, he was baptized in bed, not by immersion, which was then the most usual method, but by infusion, or the pouring on of water. Recovering, he received not the seal of the Lord by the hand of the bishop, says St. Pacian, that is to say, the sacrament of confirmation. Both these defects were, by the ancient discipline of the church, bars to holy orders. The Clinici, or persons who had been baptized in bed in time of sickness, were declared irregular, and excluded from the priesthood; not as if such a baptism was defective, but in detestation of the sloth and lukewarmness by which such persons put off their baptism till they were in immediate danger of death. Novatian, notwithstanding this double irregularity, was afterwards ordained priest. The persecution coming on, he kept himself shut up in his house; and when the deacons solicited him to go and assist his brethren, he went away in a rage, saying he would no longer serve the church, being fond of another kind of philosophy. Afterwards, with a view to make himself conspicuous by opposing the pastors, he became very rigid, and complained that some who had fallen in the persecution were too easily admitted again. By this pharisaical zeal he made a small party, and counted some among the confessors who were in prison at Rome in his interest. He was much emboldened in his cabals by Novatus, a wicked priest of Carthage. This man having strenuously abetted the deacon Felicissimus in the schism which he raised against St. Cyprian, about the beginning of the year 251, to avoid the sentence of excommunication with which St. Cyprian threatened him, fled to Rome, and there, joining Novatian, either first stirred him up to commence an open schism, or at least very much encouraged him in it. So notoriously were ambition and faction the aim of this turbulent man, that though at Carthage he had condemned the conduct of St. Cyprian towards the lapsed as too severe, he was not ashamed to ground his schism at Rome upon the opposite principle, calling there the self-same discipline of the church a criminal relaxation of the law of the gospel.
To frame a clear conception of this controversy, it is necessary to observe that those Christians who in the persecution had offered incense to idols, were called Sacrificati and Thurificati; others who purchased with money of the imperial officers libels or certificates of safety, as if they had offered sacrifice, (by which they were guilty of the same scandal,) were called Libellatici, or certificate-men. All the lapsed, upon giving marks of sincere repentance, were admitted by the church to a course of severe canonical penance, which was shorter and milder with regard to the certificate-men than to apostates; which term being completed, (or abridged by an indulgence given by the bishop,) they were received to communion. If any penitent, during the course of his penance, happened to be in danger of death the benefit of absolution and communion was granted him. This discipline was confirmed by several councils at Rome, in Africa, and other places, and at this Novatian took offence, pretending that the lapsed ought never to be again admitted to penance, or to receive absolution, not even after having performed any course of penance, or in the article of their death. Yet he did not bid them despair, but left them to the divine mercy, exhorting them privately (though excluded from the communion of the rest of the faithful) to make application to God for mercy, hoping that he would be moved to show them compassion at the last day. Novatian soon added heresy to his schism, maintaining that the church had not received from Christ power to absolve sinners from the crime of apostacy, how penitent soever they might be. His followers afterwards taught the same of murder and fornication, and condemned second marriages. 1 His disciples were called Novatians and Cathari, that is, pure. Having separated many persons from the communion of Cornelius, he decoyed three bishops from a corner of Italy, to come to Rome, and ordain him bishop of that city. One of these bishops returned soon after to the church, bewailing and confessing his guilt, and was admitted by St. Cornelius to lay-communion; for he remained deposed from his dignity, as well as the two other bishops who were concerned with him, and Pope Cornelius sent others to fill up their sees. Thus Novatian was the first anti-pope, though he was author not only of a schism, but also of a heresy, and was acknowledged bishop only by heretics. On account of his errors he is called by St. Cyprian, 2 “A deserter of the church, an enemy to all tenderness, a very murderer of penance, a teacher of pride, a corrupter of the truth, and a destroyer of charity.”
St. Cornelius assembled at Rome a synod of sixty bishops, in which he confirmed the canons, by which it was ordained to admit the lapsed that were penitent to public penance; and bishops and priests, who had fallen, only to the rank of laymen, without power of exercising any sacerdotal function. Novation, who was there present, and obstinately refused to communicate with such penitents, was excommunicated. The confessors, Maximus a priest, Urbanus, Sidonius, Celerinus, and Moses, who had been seduced by Novatian to favour his schism, were disabused by the letters of St. Cyprian and the evidence of truth and justice, and were all received to communion by St. Cornelius, to the great joy of the people, as appears from a letter of this pope to St. Cyprian, 3 and from a fragment of the last of his four letters to Fabius, bishop of Antioch, preserved by Eusebius. This historian informs us that there were in the church of Rome, in the time of Pope Cornelius, forty-six priests, seven deacons, seven sub-deacons, forty-two acolytes, fifty-two exorcists, lectors, and janitors, or door-keepers, and one thousand five hundred widows and other poor persons whom the church maintained.
St. Cyprian exceedingly extols the zeal and piety with which St. Cornelius behaved in his pastoral charge; and the courage and steadfastness with which he adhered to his duty in the most perilous times. “Should not he be ranked among the most illustrious martyrs and confessors,” says he, “who continued so long under the expectation of tormentors and savage executioners from the enraged tyrant, to mangle his body; to behead, or to burn, or to crucify: or, with some new and unexampled invention of malice and cruelty to tear and torture the bowels of this intrepid champion, opposing the dreadful edicts, and, through the mighty power of his faith, despising the torments wherewith he was threatened! Though the goodness of God hath hitherto protected his bishop, yet Cornelius gave sufficient evidence of his love and fidelity, by being ready to suffer all he could suffer, and by his zeal conquering the tyrant (Decius) first, who was soon after conquered in battle.” 4 Our saint, who deserved by his constancy to be ranked among the martyrs in the persecution of Decius, attained to his crown a short time after. Decius being defeated by the Goths in Thrace, perished in a bog, towards the end of the year 251, and was succeeded by Gallus, the general of his army, who had betrayed him. The respite which this revolution seemed to give the church was of a short continuance. A pestilence which ravaged the empire, alarmed the superstition of the new emperor, who thought he should appease the anger of his false gods by taking vengeance on the Christians, though his persecution is called by most writers a part of the seventh, or a continuation of that of Decius, whose edicts he put more rigorously in execution than that emperor himself had ever done. Pope Cornelius was the first person who was apprehended at Rome. Having made a glorious confession of his faith, he was sent into banishment to Centumcellæ, now called Civita Vecchia. St. Cyprian wrote him a congratulatory letter upon the news of his happiness in suffering for Christ. 5 In this epistle he clearly foretels the approaching conflicts of them both, and says God had, by a special revelation, warned him of his own, and that he therefore earnestly exhorted his people to prepare for it in continual watchfulness, fasting, and prayer. He adds: “Whoever of us shall be first favoured with a removal hence, let our charity persevere with the Lord for our brethren in never-ceasing prayers unto the Father for our brethren and sisters.”
St. Cornelius was called to eternal bliss in 252, on the 14th of September, on the same day on which St. Cyprian was martyred six years after, though they are commemorated together in the present Roman Martyrology on the 16th. The Liberian Calendar mentions, that St. Cornelius having been banished to Centumcellæ, slept in the Lord on the 14th of this month. St. Jerom tells us, in his life of St. Cyprian, that this holy pope was brought back from Centumcellæ to Rome, and there suffered death, which is confirmed by Eusebius in his chronicle, by St. Prosper in his, by St. Eulogius of Alexandria, quoted by Photius, (Bibl. p. 1622.) St. Pacianus, (ep. 2, ad. Symphor.) St. Cyprian, writing to his successor St. Lucius, (ep. 58,) and in a letter to the next pope, Stephen, (ep. 67,) styles Cornelius a blessed martyr. His relics were first interred in the cemetery of Calixtus, where St. Leo. I. built a chapel in honour of them; Adrian I. placed them in a stately church, which he built in the city to bear his name, as Anastasius relates. In the reign of Charles, the son of Lewis Debonnaire, the sacred remains of St. Cornelius were translated to Compeigne in France, 6 where the emperor built a church and monastery of canons to receive them, which in 1150 was put in the hands of Benedictine monks; of which famous abbey of St. Cornelius a considerable portion of these relics is to this day esteemed the richest treasure. The head and one arm were removed to the abbey of Inda, on the river of that name, near Aix la Chapelle, and there honoured with pilgrimages to this day, and miracles. Part of this arm and other bones were translated from Inda to Rotnay, or Rosnay, formerly a monastery founded by St. Amand, in the diocess of Cambray, now in that of Mechlin, between Courtray and Tourney, and converted long since into a collegiate church of canons. 7
St. Irenæus, Origen, and other fathers observe, that most of the heretics were spared in the persecutions, which fell either solely, or at least most heavily upon the Catholics. This was sometimes owing to the subterfuges of the heretics, often to the persecutors. St. Cyprian, in his last letter to Pope Cornelius, 8 makes the same remark concerning the Novatians; but attributes it to the devil: “Who,” says he, “are the servants of God, whom the devil so molests? Who are truly Christians, whom Antichrist with all his might opposes? For the devil troubles not himself with those whom he hath already made sure of, nor does he labour to conquer those who are now in his power. The great enemy of the church overlooks them as his captives and passes them by without thinking them worth his notice, whom he hath already seduced and alienated from the church, and employs his pains and stratagems upon those in whom he observes Christ to dwell. Although, if it should so happen, that one of that wretched company should be seized, he could have no reason to flatter himself with any hopes upon his confession of Christ; since it is an agreed rule, that whoever suffers without the church, is so far from being entitled to the crown of faith, that he continues obnoxious to the punishment of having forsaken it.”
Note 1. On these errors of the Novatians see Bellarm. l. 3, de Eccl. Milit. c. 2. Juenin de Pœnit. c. 1, qu. 1. Albaspinæus, Observ. Eccl. l. 2, c. 21. Orsi, De Criminum Capitalium inter veteres Christianos Absolutione, p. 251. Mosheim, Instit. Histor. Eccl. sæc. 3, part. 2, sect. 14. Nat. Alex. sæc. 3, &c. [back]
Note 2. Ep. 57, Pam. 60, Fello. p. 172. [back]
Note 3. Inter. Cyprian, ep. 46, ed. Pam. 49, ed. Oxon. [back]
Note 4. S. Cypr. ep. 55, ad Antonian. [back]
Note 5. Compeigne was a royal palace in the reign of the children of Clovis I. as appears from St. Gregory of Tours. The Emperor Charles the Bald built here a stately church adjoining to his palace with a cloister, in which he placed one hundred canons and other clergymen. When he was crowned emperor by John VIII. in 875, that pope made him a present of the bodies of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, which he deposited in this church, which he called SS. Cornelius and Cyprian’s. Pope Eugenius III. and King Lewis VI. expelled the canons, and placed in this royal monastery monks from St. Denys in 1150, which have adopted the reformation of the congregation of S. Maur. [back]
Note 6. Compeigne was a royal palace in the reign of the children of Clovis I. as appears from St. Gregory of Tours. The Emperor Charles the Bald built here a stately church adjoining to his palace with a cloister, in which he placed one hundred canons and other clergymen. When he was crowned emperor by John VIII. in 875, that pope made him a present of the bodies of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian, which he deposited in this church, which he called SS. Cornelius and Cyprian’s. Pope Eugenius III. and King Lewis VI. expelled the canons, and placed in this royal monastery monks from St. Denys in 1150, which have adopted the reformation of the congregation of S. Maur. [back]
Note 7. See Pamelius in S. Cypr. Miræus in Fastis, the Bollandists, p. 188, &c. [back]
Note 8. Ep. 57, alias 60, ad Corn. [back]
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume IX: September. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/9/161.html
CORNELIUS I
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Letter To Fabius of Antioch
Synopsis — Cornelius describes the character of Novatian, including an interesting story about an exorcism performed on him. The letter appears mean-spirited and as such the story it describes is suspect, especially coming from a person who perhaps felt threatened by Novatian.
But that you may know that a long time ago this remarkable man desired the episcopate, but kept this ambitious desire to himself and concealed it, — using as a cloak for his rebellion those confessors who had adhered to him from the beginning, — I desire to speak. Maximus, one of our presbyters, and Urbanus, who twice gained the highest honor by confession, with Sidonius, and Celerinus, a man who by the grace of God most heroically endured all kinds of torture, and by the strength of his faith overcame the weakness of the flesh, and mightily conquered the adversary, — these men found him out and detected his craft and duplicity, his perjuries and falsehoods, his unsociability and cruel friendship. And they returned to the holy church and proclaimed in the presence of many, both bishops and presbyters and a large number of the laity, all his craft and wickedness, which for a long time he had concealed. And this they did with lamentations land repentance, because through the persuasions of the crafty and malicious beast they had left the church for the time…How remarkable, beloved brother, the change and transformation which we have seen take place in him in a short time. For this most illustrious man, who bound himself with terrible oaths in nowise to seek the bishopric, suddenly appears a bishop as if thrown among us by some machine. For this dogmatist, this defender of the doctrine of the Church, attempting to grasp and seize the episcopate,
which had not been given him from above, chose two of his companions who
had given up their own salvation. And he sent them to a small and insignificant
corner of Italy, that there by some counterfeit argument he might deceive three
bishops, who were rustic
and very simple men. And they asserted positively and strongly that it was necessary that they should come quickly to Rome, in order that all the dissension which had arisen there might be appeased through their mediation, jointly with other bishops. When they had come, being, as we have stated, very simple in the craft and artifice of the wicked, they were shut up with certain selected men like himself. And by the tenth hour, when they had become drunk and sick, he compelled them by force to confer on him the episcopate through a counterfeit and vain imposition of hands. Because it had not come to him, he avenged himself by craft and treachery. One of these bishops shortly after came back to the church, lamenting and confessing his transgression. And we communed with him as with a layman, all the people present interceding for him. And we ordained successors of the other bishops, and sent them to the places where they were. This avenger of the Gospel then did not know that there should be one bishop in a catholic church; yet he was not ignorant (for how could he be?) that in it there were forty-six presbyters, seven deacons, seven sub-deacons, forty-two acolyths, fifty-two exorcists, readers, and janitors, and over fifteen hundred widows and persons in distress, all of whom the grace and kindness of the Master nourish. But not even this great multitude, so necessary in the church, nor those who, through God’s providence, were rich and full, together with the very many, even innumerable people, could turn him from such desperation and presumption and recall him to the Church…Permit us to say further: On account of what works or conduct had he the assurance to contend for the episcopate? Was it that he had been brought up in the Church from the beginning, and had endured many conflicts in her behalf, and had passed through many and great dangers for religion? Truly this is not the fact. But Satan, who entered and dwelt in him for a long time, became the occasion of his believing. Being delivered by the exorcists, he fell into a severe sickness; and as he seemed about to die, he received baptism by affusion, on the bed where he lay; if indeed we can say that such a one did receive it. And when he was healed of his sickness he did not receive the other things which it is necessary to have according to the canon of the Church, even the being sealed by the bishop. And as he did not receive this, how could he receive the Holy Spirit?...In the time of persecution, through coward- ice and love of life, he denied that he was a presbyter. For when he was requested and entreated by the deacons to come out of the chamber in which he had imprisoned himself and give aid to the brethren as far as was lawful and possible for a presbyter to assist those of the brethren who were in danger and needed help, he paid so little respect to the entreaties of the deacons that he went away and departed in anger. For he said that he no longer desired to be a presbyter, as he was an admirer of another philosophy...For this illustrious man forsook the Church of God, in which, when he believed, he was judged worthy of the presbyterate through the favor of the bishop who ordained him to the presbyterial office. This had been resisted by all the clergy and many of the laity; because it was unlawful that one who had been affused on his bed on account of sickness as he had been should enter into any clerical office; but the bishop requested that he might be permitted to ordain this one only…For when he has made the offerings, and distributed a part to each man, as he gives it he compels the wretched man to swear in place of the blessing. Holding his hands in both of his own, he will not release him until he has sworn in this manner (for I will give his own words): Swear to me by the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that you will never forsake me and turn to Cornelius.’ And the unhappy man does not taste until he has called down imprecations on himself; and instead of saying Amen, as he takes the bread, he says, I will never return to Cornelius…But know that he has now been made bare and desolate; as the brethren leave him every day and return to the church. Moses also, the blessed martyr, who lately suffered among us a glorious and admirable martyrdom, while he was yet alive, beholding his boldness and folly, refused to commune with him and with the five presbyters who with him had separated themselves from the church.(Preserved in Eusebius of Caesarea’s Ecclesiastical History 6:43)
Letter To Cyprian of Carthage
Synopsis — Cornelius informs Cyprian of the solemn return of the confessors to the church, and describes it.
1. Cornelius to Cyprian his brother, greeting. In proportion to the
solicitude and anxiety that we sustained in respect of those confessors who had
been circumvented and almost deceived and alienated from the Church by the
craft and malice of that wily and subtle man, was the joy with which we were
affected, and the thanks which we gave to Almighty God and to our Lord Christ,
when they, acknowledging their error, and perceiving the poisoned cunning of
the malignant man, as if of a serpent, came back, as they with one heart
profess, with singleness of will to the Church from which they had gone forth.
And first, indeed, our brethren of approved faith, loving peace and desiring
unity, announced that the swelling pride of these men was already soothed; yet
there was no fitting assurance to induce us easily to believe that they were
thoroughly changed. But afterwards, Urbanus and Sidonius the confessors came to
our presbyters, affirming that Maximus the confessor and presbyter, equally
with themselves, desired to return into the Church; but since many things had
preceded this which they had contrived, of which you also have been made aware from
our co-bishops and from my letters, so that faith could not hastily be reposed
in them, we determined to hear from their own mouth and confession those things
which they had sent by the messengers. And when they came, and were required by
the presbyters to give an account of what they had done, and were charged with
having very lately repeatedly sent letters full of calumnies and reproaches, in
their name, through all the churches, and had disturbed nearly all the
churches; they affirmed that they had been deceived, and that they had not
known what was in those
letters; that only through being misled they had also committed schismatical acts, and been the authors of heresy, so that they suffered hands to be imposed on him as if upon a bishop. And when these and other matters had been charged upon them, they entreated that they might be done away and altogether discharged from memory.
2. The whole of this transaction therefore being brought before me, I
decided that the presbytery should be brought together; (for there were present
five bishops, who were also present today;) so that by well-grounded counsel it
might be determined with the consent of all what ought to be observed in
respect of their persons. And that you may know the feeling of all, and the
advice of each one, I decided also to bring to your knowledge our various
opinions, which you will read subjoined. When these things were done, Maximus,
Urbanus, Sidonius, and several brethren who had joined themselves to them, came
to the presbytery, desiring with earnest prayers that what had been done before
might fall into oblivion, and no mention might be made of it; and promising
that henceforth, as though nothing had been either done or said, all things on
both sides being forgiven, they would now exhibit to God a heart clean and pure,
following the evangelical word which says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God.” What remained was, that the people should be informed of
all this proceeding, that they might see those very men established in the
Church whom they had long seen and mourned as wanderers and scattered. Their
will being known, a great concourse of the brotherhood was assembled. There was
one voice from all, giving thanks to God; all
were expressing the joy of their heart by tears, embracing them as if they had this day been set free from the penalty of the dungeon. And to quote their very own words, — “We,” they say, “know that Cornelius is bishop of the most holy Catholic Church elected by Almighty God, and by Christ our Lord. We confess our error; we have suffered imposture; we were deceived by captious perfidy and loquacity. For although we seemed, as it were, to have held a kind of communion with a man who was a schismatic and a heretic, yet our mind was always sincere in the Church. For we are not ignorant that there is one God; that there is one Christ the Lord whom we have confessed, and one Holy Spirit; and that in the Catholic Church there ought to be one bishop.” Were we not rightly induced by that confession of theirs, to allow that what they had confessed before the power of the world they might approve when established in the Church? Wherefore we bade Maximus the presbyter to take his own place; the rest we received with great approbation of the people. But we remitted all things to Almighty God, in whose power all things are reserved.
3. These things therefore, brother, written to you in the same hour, at
the same moment, we have transmitted; and I have sent away at once Nicephorus
the acolyte, hastening to descend to embarkation, that so, no delay being made,
you might, as if you had been present among that clergy and in that assembly of
people, give thanks to Almighty God and to Christ our Lord. But we believe —
nay, we confide in it for certain — that the others also who have been ranged
in this error will shortly return into the Church when they see their leaders
acting with us. I think, brother, that you ought to send these letters also to
the other churches, that all may know that the craft and prevarication of this schismatic
and heretic are from day to day being reduced to nothing. Farewell, dearest
brother.(Cyprian of Carthage’s Letters, Letter 45)
Letter To Cyprian of Carthage
Letter To Cyprian of Carthage
Synopsis — Cornelius gives Cyprian an account of the faction of Novatian.
Cornelius to Cyprian his brother, greeting. That nothing might be wanting to the future punishment of this wretched man, when cast down by the powers of God, (on the expulsion by you of Maximus, and Longinus, and Machaeus;) he has risen again; and, as I intimated in my former letter which I sent to you by Augendus the confessor, I think that Nicostratus, and Novatus, and Evaristus, and Primus, and Dionysius, have already come thither. Therefore let care be taken that it be made known to all our co-bishops and brethren, that Nicostratus is accused of many crimes, and that not only has he committed frauds and plunders on his secular patroness, whose affairs he managed; but, moreover (which is reserved to him for a perpetual punishment), he has abstracted no small deposits of the Church; that Evaristus has been the author of a schism; and that Zetus has been appointed bishop in his room, and his successor to the people over whom he had previously presided. But he contrived greater and worse things by his malice and insatiable wickedness than those which he was then always practicing among his own people; so that you may know what kind of leaders and protectors that schismatic and heretic constantly had joined to his side. I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell.
(Cyprian of Carthage’s Letters, Letter 47)
See Also Cyprian of Carthage’s Letters 40-56 for Cyprian’s replies and
other letters to Cornelius
SOURCE
: http://www.seanmultimedia.com/Pie_Cornelius_I_Letters.html
Cornelio, originario di Roma, fu eletto papa per la sua umiltà e la sua bontà, dopo un periodo di sede vacante a causa della violenta persecuzione di Decio. L'eretico Noviziano lo contrastò scatenando uno scisma ma Cornelio fu riconosciuto da quasi tutti i vescovi, primo fra tutti S. Cipriano. Morì nel 253, imprigionato a Civitavecchia, durante la persecuzione di Gallo.
Cessata la persecuzione (primavera 251) molti cristiani, che hanno ceduto per paura, vorrebbero tornare nella Chiesa. Ma quelli che non hanno ceduto si dividono tra indulgenti e rigoristi. Cipriano è più vicino ai primi, e con altri vescovi d’Africa indica una via più moderata, inimicandosi i fautori dell’epurazione severa. A questo punto le sue vicende s’intrecciano con quelle di Cornelio, un presbitero romano d’origine patrizia. Eletto papa a 14 mesi dal martirio di Fabiano, si trova di fronte a uno scisma provocato dal dotto e dinamico prete Novaziano, che ha retto la Chiesa romana in tempo di sede vacante. Novaziano accusa di debolezza Cornelio (che è sulla linea di Cipriano) e dà vita a una comunità dissidente che durerà fino al V secolo.
Da Cartagine, Cipriano affianca Cornelio e si batte contro Novaziano, affermando l’unità della Chiesa universale. Non è solo sintonia personale con papa Cornelio: Cipriano parte dall’unità dei cristiani innanzitutto con i rispettivi vescovi, e poi dei vescovi con Roma quale sede principalis, fondata su Pietro capo degli Apostoli. Ucciso in guerra l’imperatore Decio, il suo successore Treboniano Gallo è spinto a perseguitare i cristiani perché c’è la peste, e la “voce del popolo” ne accusa i cristiani, additati come “untori” in qualunque calamità. Si arresta anche papa Cornelio, che muore in esilio nel 253 a Centumcellae (antico nome di Civitavecchia). E viene definito “martire” da Cipriano, che appoggia il suo successore Lucio I contro lo scisma di Novaziano.
Autore: Domenico Agasso
San Cornelio Papa e martire
Roma (?) - Centumcellae (Civitavecchia), maggio 253
(Papa dal
03/251 al 06/253)
Cornelio, originario di Roma, fu eletto papa per la sua umiltà e la sua bontà, dopo un periodo di sede vacante a causa della violenta persecuzione di Decio. L'eretico Noviziano lo contrastò scatenando uno scisma ma Cornelio fu riconosciuto da quasi tutti i vescovi, primo fra tutti S. Cipriano. Morì nel 253, imprigionato a Civitavecchia, durante la persecuzione di Gallo.
Etimologia: Cornelio = nome di antica famiglia romana
Emblema: Palma
Martirologio
Romano: Memoria dei santi martiri Cornelio, papa, e Cipriano, vescovo, dei
quali il 14 settembre si ricordano la deposizione del primo e la passione del
secondo, mentre oggi il mondo cristiano li loda con una sola voce come testimoni
di amore per quella verità che non conosce cedimenti, da loro professata in
tempi di persecuzione davanti alla Chiesa di Dio e al mondo.
Cornelio e Cipriano sono ricordati dalla Chiesa in questo stesso giorno.
Di Cipriano giovane sappiamo che è nato pagano a Cartagine intorno al 210.
Battezzato verso il 245, nel 249 è vescovo di Cartagine. Nel 250 l’imperatore
Decio ordina che tutti i sudditi onorino le divinità pagane (offrendo
sacrifici, o anche solo bruciando un po’ d’incenso) e ricevano così il libello,
un attestato di patriottismo. Per chi rifiuta, carcere e tortura. O anche la morte: a Roma muore
martire papa Fabiano. A Cartagine, Cipriano si nasconde, guidando i fedeli come
può dalla clandestinità.
Cessata la persecuzione (primavera 251) molti cristiani, che hanno ceduto per paura, vorrebbero tornare nella Chiesa. Ma quelli che non hanno ceduto si dividono tra indulgenti e rigoristi. Cipriano è più vicino ai primi, e con altri vescovi d’Africa indica una via più moderata, inimicandosi i fautori dell’epurazione severa. A questo punto le sue vicende s’intrecciano con quelle di Cornelio, un presbitero romano d’origine patrizia. Eletto papa a 14 mesi dal martirio di Fabiano, si trova di fronte a uno scisma provocato dal dotto e dinamico prete Novaziano, che ha retto la Chiesa romana in tempo di sede vacante. Novaziano accusa di debolezza Cornelio (che è sulla linea di Cipriano) e dà vita a una comunità dissidente che durerà fino al V secolo.
Da Cartagine, Cipriano affianca Cornelio e si batte contro Novaziano, affermando l’unità della Chiesa universale. Non è solo sintonia personale con papa Cornelio: Cipriano parte dall’unità dei cristiani innanzitutto con i rispettivi vescovi, e poi dei vescovi con Roma quale sede principalis, fondata su Pietro capo degli Apostoli. Ucciso in guerra l’imperatore Decio, il suo successore Treboniano Gallo è spinto a perseguitare i cristiani perché c’è la peste, e la “voce del popolo” ne accusa i cristiani, additati come “untori” in qualunque calamità. Si arresta anche papa Cornelio, che muore in esilio nel 253 a Centumcellae (antico nome di Civitavecchia). E viene definito “martire” da Cipriano, che appoggia il suo successore Lucio I contro lo scisma di Novaziano.
Autore: Domenico Agasso
