Fulgentius of Ruspe
Augustinian Order)[2] |
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Fabius Claudius Gordianus Fulgentius, also known as Fulgentius of Ruspe (462 or 467 – 1 January 527 or 533), was a North African
Biography
Fabius Claudius Gordianus Fulgentius
His father Claudius died when Fulgentius was still quite young. His mother Mariana taught him to speak
Around the year 499 he set out to join the hermits of the Thebaid in Egypt, but changed his mind when he learned from Eulalius, Bishop of Syracuse, of the influence of monophysitism on Egyptian monasticism.[4]
He applied to Faustus, a bishop who had been forced from his diocese by the Vandal king Huneric and later set up a monastery at Byzacena. Faustus tried to dissuade Fulgentius because his physical weakness made him a poor candidate for the rigorous life of the monastery. When Fulgentius persisted, Faustus admitted him on a trial basis.[5]
Upon learning of her son's decision, Mariana, who evidently had never been told of Fulgentius's wish, was very upset. She rushed to the gates of the monastery, demanding to know how a church that was supposed to protect widows could deprive her of her only son. Her protestations were ineffective, and Fulgentius was ultimately confirmed in his vocation.[5]
Renewed
In 500, he visited Rome, where he prayed at the tombs of the apostles. His visit coincided with a formal address to the people by king Theodoric, which confirmed Fulgentius in his low esteem for the earthly vanities of this world. He then returned to Byzacena, where he built a monastery, electing to live in an isolated cell. Fulgentius's reputation quickly spread, and he was several times offered the post of bishop of one of the dioceses which had been vacated through the actions of the Arian king Thrasamund. He chose not to accept these offers, knowing Thrasamund had specifically ordered that only Arians be permitted to fill those seats.[5]
Bishop of Ruspe
In 502 Fulgentius was persuaded to take the post of bishop of Ruspe in what is now Tunisia.[4] His obvious virtues made a strong impression on the people of his new diocese, but he was soon banished to Sardinia with some sixty other bishops who did not hold the Arian position. Pope Symmachus knew of their plight and sent them annual provisions of food and money.
While in Sardinia, Fulgentius turned a house in
Fulgentius founded several communities not only in Africa, but also in Sardinia.[2]
In 523, following the death of Thrasamund and the accession of his Catholic son Hilderic, Fulgentius was allowed to return to Ruspe and try to convert the populace to the Catholic position. He worked to reform many of the abuses which had infiltrated his old diocese in his absence. The power and effectiveness of his preaching was so profound that his archbishop, Boniface of Carthage, wept openly every time he heard Fulgentius preach, and publicly thanked God for giving such a preacher to his church.[5]
Tensions with Quodvultdeus (died c.450) over precedence appear to have been overcome by Fulgentius' modest concessions.
Later, Fulgentius retired to a monastery on the island of Circinia (Kerkenna), but was recalled to Ruspe and served there until his death on 1 January 527[4] or 533.[3]
Vita
The Life of Fulgentius, (generally attributed to
Writings
As a
Doctrine
Filioque
Fulgentius writes in his Letter to Peter on the Faith: "Hold most firmly and never doubt that the same Holy Spirit, who is the one Spirit of the Father and the Son, proceeds from the Father and the Son. For the Son says, 'When the Spirit of Truth comes, who has proceeded from the Father,' where he taught that the Spirit is his, because he is the Truth."[7]
Veneration
His
References
- ^ January 14, 2024 / January 1. https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/htc/orthodox-calendar/
- ^ a b c "Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe". West Coast Augustinians, Province of St. Augustine. Archived from the original on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
- ^ a b c d "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Saint Fulgentius". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ a b c ""Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop", Order of Saint Augustine". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
- ^ ISBN 0-8146-2377-8.
- ^ "The Presbyters Project". www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ St. Fulgentius of Ruspe, Letter to Peter on the Faith II. 54.
Further reading
- A. Isola (ed.), Anonymus. Vita S. Fulgentii episcopi, Turnhout, 2016 (Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina, 91F), ISBN 978-2-503-56820-1
- Fulgence de Ruspe, Lettres ascetiques et morales. Critical text by J. Fraipont. Introduction, translation, and notes by Daniel Bachelet. Paris: Cerf, 2004 (Sources Chretiennes, 487).
- Fulgentius, Fulgentius of Ruspe and the Scythian Monks: Correspondence on Christology and Grace. Edited by Donald Fairbairn. Translated by Bob Roy McGregor and Donald Fairbairn. Vol 126 of The Fathers of the Church. Washington D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2013.
- "Fulgentius" in The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone, eds. London: Oxford University Press, 1974.
- Catholic Encyclopedia article "St. Fulgentius"
- Saint of the Day, January 1 Archived 2010-09-07 at the Wayback Machine at SaintPatrickDC.org
- Burns, Paul. Butler's Lives of the Saints:New Full Edition. Collegeville, MN:The Liturgical Press, 1995. ISBN 0-8146-2377-8.
- Gumerlock, Francis X. Fulgentius of Ruspe on the Saving Will of God: The Development of a Sixth-Century African Bishop’s Interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:4 During the Semi-Pelagian Controversy. Edwin Mellen Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0773449350
- Prosopographie de l'Afrique Chrétienne (303–533), ed. André Mandouze pp. 507–513 'Fulgentius 1'
External links
- Media related to Fulgentius of Ruspe at Wikimedia Commons
- Life of St. Fulgentius (Augustinians of the Midwest)