Lucifer of Cagliari ( la, Lucifer Calaritanus, it, Lucifero da Cagliari; died 20 May 370 or 371) was a bishop of Cagliari in Sardinia known for his passionate opposition to

Arianism Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God ...

. He is venerated as a Saint in Sardinia, though his status remains controversial.

Life

Lucifer first appears in history as an envoy from Pope Liberius to the Emperor Constantius II, requesting the convening of a church council. At the Council of Milan in 355, he defended

Athanasius of Alexandria Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...

against Arian attempts to secure his condemnation by Western bishops. It was reported that Constantius II, a supporter of Arian theology, confined Lucifer for three days in the Imperial Palace, where Lucifer continued to argue vehemently on behalf of Athanasius. Along with

Eusebius of Vercelli Eusebius of Vercelli (c. March 2, 283 – August 1, 371) was a bishop from Sardinia and is counted a saint. Along with Athanasius, he affirmed the divinity of Jesus against Arianism. Biography Eusebius was born in Sardinia, in 283. After his fathe ...

and Dionysius of Milan, Lucifer was exiled for his opposition to the imperial ecclesiastical policy.MC GUIRE, M.R.P. "Lucifer of Cagliari", ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'' (Volume 8, pp. 1058). McGraw-Hill Co., New York, 1967. Copyright by The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He was banished first to Germanicia, the see of bishop Eudoxius, thereafter to

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East J ...

and finally to the

Thebais The Thebaid or Thebais ( grc-gre, Θηβαΐς, ''Thēbaïs'') was a region in ancient Egypt, comprising the 13 southernmost nomes of Upper Egypt, from Abydos to Aswan. Pharaonic history The Thebaid acquired its name from its proximity t ...

in Egypt. While in exile, he wrote fiery pamphlets to the Emperor in which he proclaimed himself to be ready to suffer martyrdom for his beliefs. Disciple of St

Eusebius of Rome Eusebius of Rome (died ), the founder of the church on the Esquiline Hill in Rome that bears his name, is listed in the Roman Martyrology as one of the saints venerated on 14 August. Life Eusebius is said to have been a Roman patrician and pri ...

, he became a scholar in Greek and Hebrew languages, and then was baptized by the

Pope Eusebius Pope Eusebius was the bishop of Rome from 18 April 310 until his death on 17 August 310. Difficulty arose, as in the case of his predecessor, Marcellus I, out of Eusebius's attitude toward the lapsi. Eusebius maintained the attitude of the Rom ...

. St Lucifer wrote a well documented ''Vita S. Eusebii Vercellensis'' (from Latin, "Life of Saint Eusebius of Vercelli"). After the death of Constantius and the accession of

Julian the Apostate Julian ( la, Flavius Claudius Julianus; grc-gre, Ἰουλιανός ; 331 – 26 June 363) was Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, and his promotion of Neoplaton ...

, Lucifer and other expatriated bishops were allowed to return from exile in 361 or 362. However, he would not be reconciled to former Arians. He opposed the Bishop Meletius, who came to accept the Nicene creed (and for that was driven out by Arians). Although Meletius had the support of many proponents of Nicene theology at Antioch, Lucifer put his support behind the Eustathian party which had unflinchingly stood by the Nicene creed, and prolonged the schism between Meletians and Eustathians by consecrating without licence a Eustathian, Paulinus, as bishop. He subsequently returned to Cagliari where, according to Jerome, he died in 370. He may have been

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

as is hinted in the writings of

Ambrose of Milan Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promot ...

and

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

, as well as Jerome, who refers to his followers as Luciferians. There is extant a work known as '' Libellus precum ad Imperatores'', written by two Luciferian clergy called

Faustinus Faustinus was a 3rd-century CE political figure who launched a rebellion against the Gallic Emperor Tetricus I. His full name and his year of birth are unknown. According to a small number of literary sources ( Aurelius Victor, Eutropius,Eutropiu ...

and . Jerome discusses Lucifer and his supporters in his polemic ''Altercatio Luciferiani et orthodoxi'' ("Altercation of a Luciferian and an Orthodox"), as well as describing the bishop's career in ''

De Viris Illustribus ''De Viris Illustribus'', meaning "concerning illustrious men", represents a genre of literature which evolved during the Italian Renaissance in imitation of the exemplary literature of Ancient Rome. It inspired the widespread commissioning of ...

'' (chapter 95).

Alban Butler Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer. Biography Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Aston le Walls, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. His father died whe ...

writes, on the life of

, that Lucifer of Cagliari and some other bishops refused to accept back the bishops who accepted the Arian position. The lapsed, not withstanding their repentance, could no longer be admitted in the rank of bishop or priest. St. Athanasius condemned this excessive severity; and in 362 assembled the Council of Alexandria, at which assisted St Eusebius of Vercelli, in his return from banishment from

, and St Asterius of Petra. This synod condemned those who denied the divinity of the Holy Ghost, and decreed that the authors of the Arian heresy should be deposed, and upon their repentance received only to the lay-communion; but those prelates who had fallen into it only by compulsion, and for a short time, should, upon their repentance, retain their sees. (Conc. t. vii. pp. 73 and 680.)Butler, Alban, ''Butler's Lives of The Saints'',
St Athanasius
, bartleby.com. Accessed 23 September 2022. Alban Butler writes of the life of Saint Jerome as he reflects on the history of the Council of Alexandria in 362: "This indulgence of forgiveness, offered to the repentant Bishops, displeased Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari, a person famous for his zeal and writings against the Arians, in the reign of Constantius. St Jerome composed a dialogue against the Luciferians, in which he plainly demonstrates, by the acts of the Council of Rimini, that in it the bishops were imposed upon."Butler, Alban, ''Butler's Lives of The Saints'',
St. Jerome
, bartleby.com. Accessed 23 September 2022. Constantius, for the purpose of wearying out the orthodox bishops (Sulpitius Severus says: E.H.., ii, 41), delayed allowing the bishops home, keeping them there for several months until they finally accepted the Sirmian Creed.T. Gilmartin, Manual of Church History, Vol.1, Ch XVII, 1890.

Works

Lucifer of Cagliari's surviving writings, all of which date from the period of his exile, are directed against Arianism and reconciliation with heresy. His works are written in the form of speeches delivered directly to Constantius and repeatedly address the emperor in the second person throughout. His texts quote extensively from the Bible and so are useful as sources for the

Vetus Latina ''Vetus Latina'' ("Old Latin" in Latin), also known as ''Vetus Itala'' ("Old Italian"), ''Itala'' ("Italian") and Old Italic, and denoted by the siglum \mathfrak, is the collective name given to the Latin translations of biblical texts (both ...

. Also extant is a pair of letters which are allegedly correspondence between Lucifer and the emperor's secretary Florentius on the subject of some of Lucifer's inflammatory works that he had sent to Constantius.

Textual tradition

The '' editio princeps'' of his writings was printed by bishop Jean du Tillet (lat. Ioannes Tilius; Paris, 1568). In modern times they were edited by

Wilhelm von Hartel Wilhelm August Ritter von Hartel (28 May 1839 – 14 January 1907) was an Austrian philologist specializing in classical studies. Biography He was born at Hof, in Moravia, and studied at the University of Vienna (1859–63). He was appointed ...

( CSEL, vol. 14, 1886) and Gerardus Frederik Diercks (

Corpus Christianorum The Corpus Christianorum (CC) is a major publishing undertaking of the Belgian publisher Brepols Publishers devoted to patristic and medieval Latin texts. The principal series are the ''Series Graeca'' (CCSG), ''Series Latina'' (CCSL), and the '' ...

, Series Latina, vol. 8, 1978). When Hartel prepared his edition, only one manuscript with Lucifer's works (Vaticanus Reginensis 133 = V) was known. But in 1893 another one was found in the Sainte-Geneviève Library in Paris (Genouefensis 1351 = G), and only since 1921 have scholars paid attention to it, thanks to dom André Wilmart's article. There was also a third manuscript (Corbiensis deperditus), which is mentioned in a library catalog of

Corbie Abbey Corbie Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery in Corbie, Picardy, France, dedicated to Saint Peter. It was founded by Balthild, the widow of Clovis II, who had monks sent from Luxeuil. The Abbey of Corbie became celebrated both for its libra ...

. Moreover, there is a note in G indicating that it was transcribed from a very old book in Corbie (''ad exemplar vetustissimum abbatie antique corbye in dyocesi Ambianensi). Diercks in his edition concludes that G is an indirect copy of V, through a lost Corbie intermediary. However, Lambert Ferreres showed that some good readings are transmitted only in G, which is difficult to explain if it depends on V.Lambert Ferreres.
Sobre la relación entre el Ms. Genouefensis 1351 y el Vaticanus Reginensis Lat. 133
'. Revista Catalana de teologia, xvii, 1992. P. 193—199.

List of works

*''De non conveniendo cum haereticis'' (On not Coming Together with Heretics) *''De regibus apostaticis'' (On Apostate Kings) *''Quia absentem nemo debet iudicare nec damnare, sive De Athanasio'' (That No One Ought to be Judged or Condemned while Absent, or Concerning Athanasius), 2 books *''De non parcendo in Deum delinquentibus'' (On not Sparing those who Commit Offences Against God) *''Moriundum esse pro Dei filio'' (The Necessity of Dying for the Son of God) *''Epistulae Luciferi et aliorum'' (Letters by Lucifer and Others) *''Fides sancti Luciferi episcopi'' (Faith of Saint Bishop Lucifer), dubious

Veneration

Lucifer's status as a Saint is a matter of controversy. According to John Henry Blunt's 1874 ''Dictionary of Sects, Heresies, Ecclesiastical Parties, and Schools of Religious Thought'', A chapel in Cagliari's cathedral is dedicated to a Saint Lucifer. Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy, wife of Louis XVIII of France, is buried there. Opinions about Lucifer vary among Catholics who know of him; some consider him to have been "the champion of correct belief against Arianism and friend of St. Athanasius,"BENIGNI, U. "Cagliari, Archdiocese of." ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' (Volume III, pp. 139). Robert Appleton Company. New York, 1907. Available online <>. while others consider him to have been a religious fanatic who ferociously berated his opponents.

Notes

References

*Cross, F. L. ed. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.'' New York: Oxford UP, 1978. *Englebert, Omer. ''The Lives of the Saints.'' Christopher and

Anne Fremantle Anne Jackson Fremantle (born Anne-Marie Huth Jackson; 1909–2002) was an English-American journalist, translator, poet, novelist and biographer.Hartel, Wilhelm, ed. ''Luciferi Calaritani opuscula''. Wien, 1886 ( CSEL, vol. 14) *Diercks, G. F. ed. ''Luciferi Calaritani Opera quae supersunt''. Turnhout: Brepols, 1978 (

, vol. 8)

External links

San LuciferoOpera Omnia CSEL 1886 from Google BooksOpera Omnia Migne 1845 from Internet ArchiveList of the writings of Lucifer in English
*''Catholic Encyclopedia'',

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucifer 370s deaths Italian saints 4th-century Christian saints Year of birth unknown Bishops in Sardinia 4th-century Latin writers Nature of Jesus Christ