affirmed St. Cyprian’s position, and St. Cyprian proceeded to inform Rome
of the council’s decision.
Rome, together with Alexandria, had always taught that the baptism of
heretics was valid. When St. Cyprian’s envoys arrived in Rome they found
themselves treated as heretics. They were refused hospitality, communion
and even a hearing. St. Cyprian was regarded as a false prophet of a false
Christ. Pope St. Stephen, specifically noting his authority as successor to
Peter, ordered St. Cyprian and the African episcopate to stop re-baptizing
persons originally baptized by heretics, on the grounds that baptism
invoked in the name of the Trinity receives its efficacy to remit original sin
from Christ and is not dependent on the worthiness or otherwise of the
minister of the sacrament. Heretics already baptized were simply to be
received, subject to the imposition of a penance. Sure of his position, Pope
St. Stephen published his decision throughout the whole Church.
St. Cyprian refused to comply, arguing that the administration of baptism
was a detail of the local church’s life and that the question of the validity of
baptism was one on which Catholic bishops can differ. St. Cyprian attacked
Pope St. Stephen for his alleged “haughtiness, self-contradictions”, and
argued that “each bishop has the right to think for himself and as he is not
accountable to any other, so is no bishop accountable to him” – statements
in clear contradiction to his earlier ones affirming the primacy of Peter’s
successor and the unity of the Church. The rest of the African bishops
supported St. Cyprian. St. Cyprian also found support in Firmilian, Bishop
of Caesarea in Cappadocia, who in the most scathing language accused the
Pope of disturbing the peace of the Church and propagating heresy.
Before Rome could take any further action, Pope St. Stephen died. The
Liber Pontificalis states that his death was due to martyrdom, but the
evidence for this is unreliable. His successor, Sixtus II, was of a milder
disposition and a friend of St. Cyprian. He took the decision not to
immediately press the matter further due to the revival of persecution under
the Emperor Valerian. St. Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, also made
conciliatory moves.
Eleven months after Pope St. Stephen’s death, St. Cyprian would also pass
from this world, laying down his life for his faith (Sept. 14, 258). His Acta
are among the most moving of that genre of literature, and record the
 |
 |
 |