Folia Theologica et Canonica 6. 28/20 (2017)

SACRA THEOLOGIA - László Perendy, The application of the term ’brother/sister’ in early Christianity

TUE APPLICATION OF THE TERM BROTHER/SISTER' IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY 43

Letter 3: ‘Cyprian sends greetings to his brother Rogatianus. I and those colleagues who were present were deeply shocked and disturbed to read your letter. my dearest brother

Letter 4: ‘Cyprian Caecilius, Victor, Sedatus and Tertullus, together with the presbyters who were present, send greetings to their brother Pomponius. Our dearest brother, we have read your letter which you sent by our brother Paco- nius

Letter 5: ‘Cyprian sends greetings to the presbyters and the deacons, his dearest brothers. I send greetings to you, my dearest brothers, safe as I am by the grace of God...’

Letter 6: ‘Cyprian sends everlasting greetings in God to Sergius, Rogatianus, and the other confessors. I send greetings to you my dearest brothers.’

Letter 7 : ‘Cyprian sends greetings to the presbyters and deacons, his dearest brothers. I send greetings to you, my dearest brothers, by the grace of God in safety but anxious to return soon to you and thus assuage my longing as well as yours and that of all our brothers.’

Letter 9: 'Cyprian sends greetings to his brothers, the presbyters and deacons dwelling in Rome. There had been, my dearly beloved brothers, unsubstantial rumour here amongst us that my colleague, that good man, had departed this life.'

Letter 10: ‘Cyprian sends immortal salutations in God the Father to the martyrs and confessors of Jesus Christ our Lord. I am overwhelmed with joy and gladness, my brothers most brave and most blessed, for I have learned of your faith and your fortitude.’2*

As we can observe, in Letters Two, Three, and Four Cyprian calls certain bishops (Eucratius, Rogatianus. and Pomponius) by name and he calls them his brothers. In Letters Five, Seven, and Nine other members of the clergy, presbyters and deacons are called brothers. At the time of the writing of Letter Nine, Rome does not have a bishop, so he writes the letter to the members of the clergy, but they are not named. Flowever, sometimes not only the members of the clergy are called brothers, but in Letter Ten also the martyrs and confessors, who have suffered for Christ. In another work of his, namely in the De lapsis, in Chapter Four he calls even the so-called lapsi his brothers, i.e. the Christians who proved weak during persecutions and offered pagan sacrifices. But on the whole, we can observe that in his extant works, the term 'brother' is not applied to every member of the Christian community, but only to certain groups inside the community, especially the members of the clergy.

28 For the quotations taken from the first ten letters see: Clarke, G. W. (transi.), The Leiters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, I: Letters Ì-27 (Ancient Christian Writers, 43), New York, N.Y.-Ramsey, N.J. 1983. 53-71.