CECILIAN. - First archdeacon and then bishop of Carthage (311); his name is connected with the Donatist controversy, provoked by his election after the death of the holder of the see of Carthage, Mensurius. A good administrator, he was rigorous in matters of discipline, and he clashed with the opposition of a wealthy lady named Lucilla, whom he reproved for her superstitious devotions, and of several notables who had made themselves guilty of damages against the Church. Against the validity of his election these men raised two arguments: the absence of the bishops of Numidia, as was the custom, and the unworthiness of his consecrators. Having gathered a synod at Carthage (312), they deposed him, electing in his place the lector Majorinus. The churches across the sea, however, remained in communion with C., recognized as legitimate bishop by Constantine. The Roman Synod of 313, convened under Pope Miltiades to settle the question, pronounced in favor of C. and condemned Majorinus; the Synod of Arles of 314 reached the same conclusions.

The decisions of the two councils did not calm the schismatics, who appealed to the emperor. Constantine believed he could remedy the matter by condemning the Donatists, but also by exiling C. to Brescia and appointing a new bishop of Carthage (316). Not even this measure brought peace; in the face of Donatist opposition the imperial commission pronounced in favor of C., who shortly afterward was able to return to his see. In 325 he was present at the Council of Nicaea. He died after 340.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: Sources: Eusebius of Caesarea, St. Optatus of Milevis, St. Augustine are collected and studied by P. Monceaux, Histoire littéraire de l'Afrique chrétienne, IV, Paris 1913, and by H. von Soden, Urkunden zur Entstehungsgeschichte des Donatismus (Kleine Texte, 122), Bonn 1913; P. Batiffol, La paix constantinienne et le catholicisme, 4th ed., Paris 1929, pp. 263-99; L. Duchesne, Le dossier du donatisme, in Mélanges d'archéologie et d'histoire, 10 (1890), p. 589 ff.; Fliche-Martin-Frutz, III (1939), p. 44 ff.

Mario Scaduto

@incollection{ec3_ceciliano, author = {Scaduto, Mario}, title = {Ceciliano}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {III}, pages = {1230}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/ceciliano} }

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