![]() ![]() To those who would argue that since wine can be abused and lead to drunkenness it is inappropriate for the Eucharist, Cyprian contrasts spiritual and carnal inebriation: In the Old Testament, wine is used to prefigure the suffering of Christ, and it is this very passion of the Lord which comprises the sacrifice we offer at the altar. Cyprian also develops the idea at some length how the fruit of the vine is essential to the Eucharist. No bishop or anyone else has the authority to change what Christ instituted. Christ used bread and wine at the Last Supper, and the apostle Paul strongly enjoined us to obey the Lord explicitly in this matter. ![]() Cyprian condemns this practice and uses the opportunity both to assert the authority of scripture and apostolic tradition, and to explain the symbolic significance of the use of wine in the Eucharist.Ĭyprian begins with the initial premise that we must always obey the explicit commands of Christ as found in scripture. Rather than mixing wine with water in the chalice, as had been the Catholic practice handed down from apostolic times, these pastors were consecrating water alone. The immediate occasion of this letter, addressed to a fellow bishop, was concern that some bishops and priests were celebrating the eucharist without using wine. Many of these precious epistles have survived, and we are fortunate that in “Letter 63” of this collection Cyprian developed his thoughts on the eucharist, giving valuable insights into the teaching of the Latin church in his day. More often he responded to requests from others to clarify or answer various questions which would arise. On occasion Cyprian wrote short treatises on various pastoral and doctrinal issues. It is a testament to the seriousness of their faith that learned bishops such as Cyprian took the time amidst other pressing concerns to write about doctrine and defend various Catholic positions. Indeed, the account of Cyprian’s own martyrdom, written by his deacon Pontius, is one of the most sobering and moving in all of early Christian literature. 258), they were forced to deal with severe tensions arising from persecution of the church by the Roman authorities. Sometimes, as in the case of Bishop Cyprian of Carthage (d. Almost all of these writers were, in fact, extremely busy bishops or pastors who were preoccupied with pragmatic problems of the flock entrusted to them. ![]() The profound and often sublime writings of those early Christians whom we refer to as “Church Fathers” were not the products of people whose only concern was theological speculation. ![]()
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