FIRMILIAN OF CAESAREA. - One of the most eminent figures of the episcopate of his time, he was bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 230. He maintained cordial relations with Origen, of whom he was a disciple and protector; he condemned Novatianism together with the bishops of the East, and presided over the First and Second Synods of Antioch (165-266) against Paul of Samosata; he died at Tarsus in Cilicia, while on his way to the Third, in 268-69.

St. Basil alludes to a work (λῶσις) in which F. professed the orthodox faith on the Holy Spirit (De Spir. S., 39, 74). A history of the persecutions is attributed to him by Moses of Chorene, but the report is of doubtful reliability. F. is known above all for the part he took in the question of the Baptism of heretics. In a letter, probably from the end of 256, to St. Cyprian, which the latter must have translated from the Greek (the 73rd of the Cyprianic epistolary), he seeks to demonstrate, against Pope Stephen, whom he sharply reproaches, the invalidity of Baptism administered by heretics.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: The principal source is Eusebius. Hist. eccl., VI, 26, 27, 46, VII, 3, 28, 30. Cf. B. Bossue, Acta SS. Octobris, 12 (1867), pp. 470-510; Bardenhewer, II, pp. 312-14.

Michele Pellegrino

@incollection{ec5_firmiliano_di_cesarea, author = {Pellegrino, Michele}, title = {Firmiliano di Cesarea}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {V}, pages = {1425}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/firmiliano-di-cesarea} }

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Firmilian of Caesarea

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