Saint of the Day – 4 June – Saint Optatus of Milevis (4th Century) Bishop of Milevis, Numidia, in Africa, Father of the Church, the first fierce opponent of Donatism, Writer against heresy, Scholar. Also known as – Optate, Ottato.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Milevis, in Numidia, in Africa, Saint Optatus, Bishop of that place, celebrated for learning and holiness.”
Optatus was a convert, as we learn from St Augustine. He is perhaps the least known of all the Fathers of the Church. He was learned with a solid cultural preparation which ranged from Scriptural exegesis to Theology, without disdaining the profane disciplines, such as rhetoric and jurisprudence. All this must have supported Optatus as he ventured into his literary and pastoral activity.
He is best known for his opposition to the heresy of Donatism and his six treatises composed against them. One of these, “Against Parmenian”, is still extant and was mentioned by St Jerome in his “De Viris Illustrius” as having been composed in six books.
The treatise stresses the need for unity and is conciliatory in tone but it criticises Donatist teachings on Baptism and stresses that the Church cannot be limited to Africa but is ‘Catholic.’
Optatus was much praised by such contemporaries as St Augustine and St Fulgentius of Ruspe.
“His treatise against the Donatists was translated into French in 1564. It is extremely improbable that, but for this exception, it has, until now, ever appeared in any language save Latin. It is quite certain that it has never yet been clothed in an English dress.
Indeed it is not too much to say that the very name of Optatus is barely known, even to many students of Theology and Ecclesiastical history. Yet his is no mean name and he cannot be ignored with safety, for he has bequeathed to the Church, material of no small value.”
The above excerpt was written by Fr O R Vassali-Phililips CSSR in his Introduction to his translation of our Saints works. His translation was published in 1917. Here is a link to the Treatise: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/optatus_00_intro.htm
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