OPTATUS OF MILEVI IN NUMIDIA (Optatus Miletianus), Saint. - Bishop of this city, in the 4th century, known for his polemical work against the Donatist Parmenian.
The exact title of this work has not come down to us: editors have reconstructed it in different ways (De schismate Donatistarum; Ad, Adversus or Contra Parmenianum schismaticum; perhaps De vera [or: catholica] Ecclesia or even De Catholicae Ecclesiae unitate adversus Parmenianum schismaticum). It is established that it had two editions: the first, in 6 books, was composed, according to St. Jerome (De vir. ill., 110), «Valentiniano et Valente principibus», that is, between 20 February 364 and 25 August 367; according to some, however, after 1 October 366 (consecration of Pope St. Damasus I) but perhaps even a little earlier, that is, at a short distance from the death of Julian the Apostate, from the condemnation of Photinus pronounced by Italian bishops in 363 and from the same writing of Parmenian (in which case, the name of Pope Damasus would also have been added to the list of Roman pontiffs in II, 3; cf. 4). In the second edition, in response to new attacks by the Donatists, O. added Book VII and introduced, as has been mentioned, other reworkings, after 384. It is in this state that the work has come down to us, but certainly before it had received the final touch from the author; and it was therefore circulated after his death.
O.'s writing is important not only for the information on the origin and history of Donatism, and even more for an interesting appendix of documents (Gesta apud Zenophilum, etc. [v. DONATISMO]; in the sole Paris codex 1711, 11th century, formerly Colbertinus 1951), probably collected by O. himself; and because, in the face of an entire Donatist literature, it is the only writing from the Catholic side prior to St. Augustine, who made extensive use of it; but also from a theoretical point of view. O. in fact, accepting in part also principles already admitted by his adversary and developing (as, for that matter, Parmenian also did) thoughts already expressed by St. Cyprian, strives to define with clarity and precision what the true Church is, catholic: rationabilis et ubique diffusa (II, 1, cf. 2), characterized by the unitas animorum and by the possession of valid Sacraments (I, 11) as well as being the true spouse of Christ furnished with the mystical dotes, of which Parmenian also speaks (I, 10; II, 2; 9; etc.). He therefore clearly distinguishes "heresy" from "schism" and affirms with equal clarity sacramenta per se esse valida, non per homines. For these reasons O.'s work was read with attention by the Anglicans of the "Oxford Movement" in the last century and exercised a certain influence on the future Cardinal Newman.
There remains a sermon relating to a feast of the Christmas cycle (it speaks of the Incarnation and the birth of Christ, of the adoration of the Magi and of the Slaughter of the Innocents). It was published by G. Morin (1917) and by A. Wilmart (1922), who attributed it to O., and from it various conclusions have been drawn about the history of the liturgy. It expresses instead (an argument so far uncontradicted) ideas too akin to those of the Donatists to be able to be attributed to the defender of the Catholic Church; it could be the work (and this would explain the intitulation of the Floriscense codex) of that other O., who was a fanatical Donatist bishop of Thamugadi, a contemporary of St. Augustine, and considered by his own as a martyr.
Bibliography7 works
Alberto Pincherle