Letters, Volume 6 (1*–29*)

Letter 22

LETTER 22* Introduction Here Augustine reports on current issues to Alypius, who is probably in Italy on episcopal business. Augustine's advanced age is apparent in his inability to attend this council, which must have been held in a mountainous region. The issue ofthe shortage ofclergy in North Africa was not a new one, but it had been exacerbated in recent years by the reunification of Catholic and Donatist churches and the need for an increased number of clergy. The need was so desperate that the North African church had undertaken what were considered radical measures. The tradition had been that clergymen who had sinned seriously (and apostasy would be very serious), after they had done suitable penance, would be received only as lay communicants. But the North African situation was different from the situation envisaged by the traditional attitudes.! By the early fifth century, the Donatist schism had been a reality . for more than a. hundred years. Its people and clergy had been Donatist Christians for several generations, not knowing any other reality. Therefore, Catholics argued that they could hardly be considered apostates in the usual sense. Augustine's theological arguments, which centered on the acceptance ofthe validity of Donatist baptism, were extended to support the validity of their ordinations as well. (Cf. e.g. ep. 61 from the year 401.) Thus Catholic councils decided that, under certain conditions, Donatist priests, deacons and even bishops could be received into the Catholic Church and continue their clerical ministries. After the conference of 41 1, this could have proved an invaluable aid to corporate reunion: to be able to receive whole Donatist communities intact with their clergy maintained in place. When such things were discussed in councils of the decade before 41 1, it was decided to seek approval of the churches "across the sea," i.e. Rome and Milan principally. Their responses varied from negative to dubious. Finally, the African bishops decided that their situation required it and that they would proceed whether the other churches approved or not.2 1. P. A. Fevrier, Colloq, pp. 101-115, esp. pp. 102-104. 2. See Remi Crespin, Ministere et saintete Pastorale du ckrge et solution de la crise donatiste dans la vie et la doctrine de S. Augustin (Paris: Etudes Augustiniennes , 1965), esp. pp. 53-60. 153 154 SAINT AUGUSTINE The second aspect ofthe clergy shortage problem involved the fact that few men were available from the social class most likelv to furnish qualified bishops, priests and deacons.3 This was the so-c~ned curial class, the decuriones,' the generally urban middle class group that had the education, relative financial independence and leadership qualities needed. When Constantine had become emperor, he showered privileges on the Church; one of these was exemption for the clergy from certain taxes or civic duties. These duties included not only direct payments of money but also the obligation to support what we might call public works projects in their local area-the repair of roads and public buildings, for example. Some of these obligations had evolved from earlier Roman civic traditions of "no.. blesse oblige": that those who would be public benefactors gain public favor and immortalize their names through this kind of giving which was to become obligatory, the tradition of the euergetes, the benefactor .5 But over the decades since Constantine, this burden of taxation, of obligatory public benefaction, had become increasingly onerous. If entering the clergy proved to be a kind of tax shelter, there should have been no surprise that a number of men took advantage of it. This in tum led later emperors, through financial necessity, to restrict greatly the ability of men of this class to escape their obligations by becoming clerics or monks. Hence one reason for the clergy shortage in Augustine'S laments is that the true religion had not been favored with the advantages formerly enjoyed by pagans. This problem in turn led Augustine to complain of the relative weakness of the Catholic bishops in civil society (as in epp. 98.2 and 14*) and the contempt with which some who committed crimes treated them. A further consideration was the institution ofthe Defensor civitatis6 (municipal advocate or Defender of the City) and the difficulty of finding suitable candidates to fill this office. This post was another innovation of the late empire. The duty of this office was to help protect local interests against powerful outside forces. Alypius is asked again to see what he can do...