E01900: Augustine of Hippo, in his treatise On the sole baptism, refers to the Roman practice of commemorating all the bishops of the city whose episcopate was irreproachable, and mentions specifically *Stephanus (bishop and martyr of Rome, S00205). Written in Latin in North Africa, 410/411.

Augustine of Hippo, On the Sole Baptism 14.23

Augustine deals with the issue of rebaptism, which he considers to be inspired by the devil. In this context he has to explain why Bishop Stephanus of Rome is commemorated in that city in spite of the fact that he rebaptised heretics. He puts this question in the following way:

Sed uolo mihi soluat iste quaestionem, quandoquidem, cum Romanae ecclesiae per ordinem commemoraret episcopos, inter eos commemorauit et Stephanum, quos episcopatum inlibatum gessisse confessus est.

'But let me solve this question of why the church of Rome, which commemorates its subsequent bishops, whose episcopate is believed to be irreproachable, commemorates among them also Stephanus.'


Text: Petschening 1910, 23. Translation and Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.