Saint Marcellinus, Statesman

The cause of his death was the zeal he displayed against schismatics called Donatists—a kind of African Jansenists who refused to admit to pardon and Catholic communion those who, having had the weakness to surrender the Holy Scriptures during the persecution, asked with repentance for the absolution of their fault. A conference was convened in 410, in Carthage, not to decide the question of law, for it has always been true that there is mercy for every sin, but to know which bishop the people should obey, "the Catholic or the Donatist," in cities where each communion had its own. Marcellinus, Secretary of Sta te to Hon Marcellin Priest of the Church of Rome and martyr. orius, was appointed to preside over this conference and ensure the execution of the measures that would be agreed upon. The Catholic bishops offered their adversaries to share their sees with them, and if necessary, to cede them to them. The spirit of discord, which is that of the disciples of Satan, did not allow the Donatists to reunite with the communion of the faithful and caused them to reject any kind of arrangement. From then on, the cause of the Catholics was won: in accordance with his mandate, Marcellinus applied the severe laws enacted against these dissidents, who, in their turbulence, respected neither persons nor property. From that moment, everything was done to destroy the upright Marcellinus. If the Catholics had the upright Marcellinus on their side, the Donatists had Count Marinus in their party. Now, Marinus was precisely in Africa at that time, occupied with suppressing the rebellion of a certain Heraclianus, who had attempted to make himself independent in his government. Abusing his full military powers, the generalissimo of Honorius implicated Marcellinus in the revolt of Heraclianus, and although the accusation was devoid of any foundation, Marcellinus was placed with his brother in a dreadful prison that received no light. In this sad place, his brother said to him one day: "If it is my sins that have brought this disgrace upon me, how have you deserved to fall into it, you whose life has always been Christian?" "Even if what you say were true," replied Marcellinus, "and even if I were to lose my life because of it, should I not give thanks to God, who punishes me in this world to spare me in the other?" Saint Augustine, who loved the tribune because of his fine qualities and esteemed him for his virtues, came expressly to Carthage to justify him before Marinus and made him promise that he would spare his life; but the count, trampling his promise underfoot, condemned him to be beheaded. The Bishop of Hippo went to visit Marc L'évêque d'Hippone Father of the Church and spiritual master of Possidius. ellinus in his prison, and he gives the most touching account of the state in which he found him. Having asked him if he had ever committed any of those sins that are expiated by canonical penance, he replied, while squeezing his right hand: "I swear to you by this hand that administered the sacraments I have just received, that I have never been guilty of such sins." The court, convinced of the innocence of the two brothers, had sent word to Count Marinus to release them; but to satisfy his vengeance, he had hastened to have them executed.

Honorius Honorius Western Roman Emperor who abolished the gladiatorial games after the death of Telemachus. disgraced Marinus for this barbaric execution and gave Marcellinus the title of a man of glorious memory. This illustrious friend of Saint Augustine, to whom the latter had dedicated his first writings against the Pelagians and his great work The Ci Cité de Dieu An apology for Christianity in the face of the decline of the Roman Empire. ty of God, was put to death in Carthage in the year 413, and he is honored as a martyr on April 6.

Saint Jerome Saint Jérôme Father of the Church and author of the original biography of Saint Asella. and Saint Augustine delivered the funeral oration for this illustrious victim of religious discord.

See the complete works of Saint Augustine, French translation by Bar-le-Duc, 17 vol. large 8vo.