Saint Eugenius of Carthage | |
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 A statue portraying Saint Eugenius, in the church museum in Sant'Eustorgio (Milan, Italy). | |
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| Died | July 13, 505 Vienne |
| Feast | July 13 |
Saint Eugenius of Carthage was a Christian saint, unanimously elected Bishop of Carthage in 480 to succeed Deogratias. He was caught up in the disputes of his day between Arianism and mainstream Christianity.
His episcopal election was deferred owing to the opposition of the Arian Vandal kings and was only permitted by King Huneric at the instance of Zeno and Placidia, into whose family the Vandals had married. [1]
The bishop's governance, charity, austere lifestyle and courage are said to have won him the admiration of the Arians. He had admitted Vandals into the Catholic Church, contrary to royal edict, and had engaged in argument against Arian theologians, whom the king pitted against the Catholics. Both sides claimed the name "Catholic", the Arians calling their opponents "Homoousians". [1]
The conference, held some time between 481 and February 484, ended by the withdrawal of the chief Arian bishop on the plea that he could not speak Latin. The Arians being enraged, Huneric exiled forty-six bishops to Corsica and three hundred and two to the African deserts. Among the latter was Eugenius, who under the custody of a man named Antonius dwelt in the desert of Tripoli. On setting out he wrote a letter of consolation and exhortation to the faithful of Carthage which is still extant in the works of St. Gregory of Tours (P.L., LVII, 769–71). In his uncompromising defence of the Divinity of the word of the Bible he was imitated by his flock, many of whom were exiled with him. [1]
Gunthamund, who succeeded Huneric as Vandal king, allowed Eugenius to return to Carthage and permitted him to reopen the churches. After eight years of peace Thrasamund succeeded to the throne, arrested Eugenius and condemned him to death, but commuted the sentence into exile at Vienne, near Albi (Languedoc), where the Arian Alaric was king. Eugenius built there a monastery over the tomb of St. Amaranthus the martyr, and led a penitential life till his death on 13 July, 505. [2]
The legend associated with him is that sometime before February 1, Felix a blind man of Carthage had a dream that Bishop Eugenius would pray for him and he would be healed. Twice the man ignored the dream, but he had it again. On the third time he roused himself and sought out the Bishop. The legend continues that Felix went to the Bishop and told his story. The Bishop protested his ability to heal but eventually acquiesced with the words "I have already told you I am a sinful man; but may he who has deigned to visit you act in accordance with your faith and open you eyes". The tale continues that when he prayed for Felix his sight was restored. [3] [4] When news of the miracle reached the Vandal king, Huneric is said to have unsuccessfully tried to kill Felix. [5]
He wrote an Expositio Fidei Catholicae, demanded of him by Huneric, probably the one submitted by the Catholic bishops at the conference. It argues the Consubstantiality of the Bible and the divinity of the Holy Spirit. He wrote also an Apologeticus pro Fide; Altercatio cum Arianis, fragments of which are quoted by Victor de Vita; also pleas for the Catholics, addressed to Huneric or his successors.
Both Gennadius of Massilia and Pope Gelasius I had heard of the subject by 494 and two pastoral letters survive. [6]
In 992 the bishop of Savona established a monastery on Bergeggi island dedicated to St. Eugenius. [2]
Huneric,Hunneric or Honeric was King of the Vandal Kingdom (477–484) and the oldest son of Gaiseric. He abandoned the imperial politics of his father and concentrated mainly on internal affairs. He was married to Eudocia, daughter of western Roman Emperor Valentinian III (419–455) and Licinia Eudoxia. The couple had one child, a son named Hilderic.
Year 484 (CDLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Venantius and Theodoricus. The denomination 484 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Gelimer, King of the Vandals and Alans (530–534), was the last Germanic ruler of the North African Kingdom of the Vandals. He became ruler on 15 June 530 after deposing his first cousin twice removed, Hilderic, who had angered the Vandal nobility by converting to Chalcedonian Christianity, as most of the Vandals at this time were fiercely devoted to Arian Christianity.
Thrasamund (b.450–d.523), became King of the Vandals and Alans in 496, the fourth king in a line of rulers over the North African Kingdom of the Vandals. He was the son of Gento and the grandson of the Vandal Kingdom's founder, Gaiseric. Thrasamund ruled longer than any other Vandal king in Africa aside from his grandfather. He was known for his commitment to Arianism and for his antagonism towards Catholics. Upon his death in 523, Thrasamund was succeeded by his cousin, Hilderic.
Pope Felix III was the bishop of Rome from 13 March 483 to his death. His repudiation of the Henotikon is considered the beginning of the Acacian schism. He is commemorated on March 1.
Alban of Mainz was a Catholic priest, missionary, and martyr in the Late Roman Empire. He is venerated as Saint Alban of Mainz in the Catholic Church, not to be confused with Saint Alban of Verulamium.
The name early African church is given to the Christian communities inhabiting the region known politically as Roman Africa, and comprised geographically somewhat around the area of the Roman Diocese of Africa, namely: the Mediterranean littoral between Cyrenaica on the east and the river Ampsaga on the west; that part of it that faces the Atlantic Ocean being called Mauretania, in addition to Byzacena. Thus corresponding somewhat to contemporary Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The evangelization of Africa followed much the same lines as those traced by Roman civilization. From the late fifth and early sixth century, the region included several Christian Berber kingdoms.
Fabius Claudius Gordianus Fulgentius, also known as Fulgentius of Ruspe, was a North African Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Ruspe in what is now Tunisia, during the 5th and 6th century. He has been venerated as a saint.
Victor of Tunnuna was Bishop of the North African town of Tunnuna and a chronicler from Late antiquity. He was also considered a martyr by Isidore of Seville.
Victor Vitensis was an African bishop of the Province of Byzacena. His importance rests on his Historia persecutionis Africanae Provinciae, temporibus Genserici et Hunirici regum Wandalorum.
The Notitia provinciarum et civitatum Africae is a Byzantine-era document listing the bishops and sees in the Roman provinces of North Africa, Sardinia and the Balearics. The cause of its preparation was the council of Carthage held on 1 February 484 by the Arian king of the Vandals, Huneric (477–484).
The Vandal Kingdom or Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans was a confederation of Vandals and Alans, which is one of the barbarian kingdoms established under Gaiseric, a Vandal warrior. It ruled in North Africa and the Mediterranean from 435 to 534 AD.
The Archdiocese of Carthage, also known as the Church of Carthage, was a Latin Catholic diocese established in Carthage, Roman Empire, in the 2nd century. Agrippin was the first named bishop, around 230 AD. The temporal importance of the city of Carthage in the Roman Empire had previously been restored by Julius Caesar and Augustus. When Christianity became firmly established around the Roman province of Africa Proconsulare, Carthage became its natural ecclesiastical seat. Carthage subsequently exercised informal primacy as an archdiocese, being the most important center of Christianity in the whole of Roman Africa, corresponding to most of today's Mediterranean coast and inland of Northern Africa. As such, it enjoyed honorary title of patriarch as well as primate of Africa: Pope Leo I confirmed the primacy of the bishop of Carthage in 446: "Indeed, after the Roman Bishop, the leading Bishop and metropolitan for all Africa is the Bishop of Carthage."
Musti in Numidia, also called Musti Numidiae, was an ancient city and bishop jurisdiction (bishopric), and is presently a Catholic titular see,(bishop's government see of a former government under a church's responsibility, also known as a dead diocese.) in modern Algeria.
Saint Florentius was a North African bishop during the latter Roman Empire, venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. He is known to history from hagiographies and the Notitia Provinciarum et Civitatum Africae Bishop Florients He was Bishop of Simminensis, 30 km east of Carthage in Roman North Africa. He suffered the persecution at the hand of the Arian, Vandal king Huneric for his role in the Council of Carthage of 484 where he supported, the Catholic position rejecting Arianism. He was Exiled to Corsica and forced to hard labor, there continued his apostolic work until his death. Also according to tradition, he was initially buried in the town that bears his name, San Fiorenzo. In 760 the bishop of Treviso, Titian, through a vision, discovered his relics and transferred them to his city, placing them in the church of St. John the Baptist. Currently his remains are on display to the public worship in the Cathedral of Treviso.
Vita was a Roman–Berber civitas in Africa Proconsularis. It is a former Christian diocese and Latin Catholic titular see.
Unizibira was an ancient town and bishopric in Roman North Africa which remains a Latin Catholic titular see.
Theudalis, also known as Teudali, was a Roman era civitas (town) of the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis. The ancient city is tentatively identifiable with ruins at Henchir-Aouam in Tunisia.
Lamsorti was an Ancient city and bishopric in Roman North Africa, which only remains a Latin Catholic titular see.
The Diocese of Pudentiana is a suppressed and titular see of the Roman Catholic Church. It was centered on the Roman town of Pudentiana that flourished in the province of Numidia, Roman North Africa, through the Vandal Kingdom and Roman Empire of late antiquity.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Eugenius of Carthage". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.| International | |
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