Sunday, September 25, 2022

Cyprian of Carthage on a Sacerdotal Priesthood and Eucharist as a Sacrifice

I recently watched a video by Trent Horn responding to James White. Trent brings up as early evidence for a sacerdotal priesthood and the Eucharist being the substantial re-presentation of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ from letter 62 of Cyprian of Carthage (200-258):

 

For if Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, is Himself the chief priest of God the Father, and has first offered Himself a sacrifice to the Father, and has commanded this to be done in commemoration of Himself, certainly that priest truly discharges the office of Christ, who imitates that which Christ did; and he then offers a true and full sacrifice in the Church to God the Father, when he proceeds to offer it according to what he sees Christ Himself to have offered. (ANF 5:362)

 

The Latin reads:

 

Nam, si Jesus Christus Dominus et Deus noster ipse est summus sacerdos Dei Patris, et sacrificium Patri se ipsum primus obtulit, et hoc fieri in sui commemorationem praecepit, utique ille sacerdos vice Christi verse fungitur qui id quod Christus fecit imitatur, et sacrificium verum et plenum tunc offert in Ecclesia Deo Patri, si sic incipiat offerre secundum quod ipsum Christum videat obtulisse. (Migne, PL 4:385-86 [here, it is letter no. 63])

 

It is pretty clear that Cyprian of Carthage did teach these doctrines, even if he did not have the developed terminology one would find at the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), as well as have some issues hammered out one finds in that council and later writers (e.g., Aquinas; Council of Trent; Catechism of Trent). I think critics of Catholicism (myself included) need to be honest and admit that at least some of Rome’s doctrines and dogmas are found rather early.