Christianity

Tunisia was a Christian region from the second century to the eleventh century, and the local church in Tunisia played a significant role in the theological, liturgical, artistic, and moral development of the entire “Catholic” Church. Carthage was one of the early centers of Christianity and a key city in the early Christian civilization, becoming the most important center of Christianity in Roman Africa at the time.

Despite the persecutions experienced by the early Tunisian Christians and the spread of heresies threatening the unity of the Church, Carthage remained at the heart of Christian life and theological progress, benefiting from the influence of great figures who impacted the Catholic Church, such as Saint Irenaeus, Saint Augustine, and Saint Fulgentius.

Tunisia was Christian from the second century to the eleventh century, and the local church in Tunisia played a crucial role in the theological, liturgical, artistic, and moral development of the entire “Catholic” Church.

Carthage was the primary Christian center after Rome in the West. This region embraced Christianity early in the first century, and by the year 180 AD, it had already produced martyrs for the faith. The writings of Tertullian, a Carthaginian, indicate that by the end of the second century, the Carthage church was already a prominent and powerful community, becoming the most influential center for Christian writings, even more so than Rome. During the third century, Christianity became highly influential among the Roman population in African cities, and Carthaginian councils suggest that by 250 AD, there were at least a hundred communities, each with its own bishop. However, the Church faced persecution and hostility during this time.

The great African personality in the third century was the saintly bishop and martyr Saint Cyprian of Carthage. In the fourth and fifth centuries, the call to faith was intense in Roman African cities, and Christianity reached its peak. From the second century onwards, the Carthaginian episcopate played a significant role in shaping theology, legislation, liturgy, philosophy, and ecclesiastical laws. The Carthaginian episcopate was to the early African Church what Rome was to the Catholic Church in Italy. They utilized African liturgical rituals, a form of Western liturgy in the Latin language.

During the third century, when Carthage played a pivotal role in early Christianity, Saint Cyprian emerged as a prominent figure. The period was marked by the martyrdom of Christians during the persecution under Emperor Valerian. Cyprian encouraged the Christian community during the Dakian persecution (250) and was known for his strict yet compassionate approach towards those who had lapsed from the faith, leaving them room for reconciliation after performing exemplary penance. In 256, he organized the Council of Carthage, bringing together more than 80 representatives from African bishops, a number larger than that of Italy and Gaul united. He was also known for his service and dedication to the poor in Carthage and his unwavering commitment to the Christian faith until his martyrdom in 258 during the reign of Emperor Valerian.

Saint Tertullian

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, also known as Tertullian, was born around the year 155 AD in Carthage. His parents were pagans, and his father served as a centurion in the Roman army. Tertullian studied law and became a renowned lawyer in Rome after converting to Christianity in 193 AD. He later settled in Carthage and quickly employed his extensive knowledge of law, literature, and philosophy to serve the Christian faith. Tertullian was ordained as a priest, and between the years 195 and 220 AD, he wrote numerous works, which had a lasting impact on Christian theology.

Aside from Saint Augustine, Tertullian is considered the most important Latin-speaking church writer. He possessed a deep knowledge of philosophy, law, and both the Greek and Latin languages. His works were marked by their strength, eloquence, and sharp criticism. Tertullian was unyielding in his stance against pagans, Jews, and heretics. There is no doubt that he was fully prepared to die for his faith. In his final words of defense, he expressed his ardent desire to receive the blessed crown of martyrdom. Tertullian’s literary contributions to early Christian Latin were of utmost importance, as they introduced numerous new terms later used in explaining Christian doctrine. Therefore, he was called “The Creator of Ecclesiastical Latin,” emphasizing the significance of Tertullian’s contributions to the history of Christian Latin language, an influence that endures to this day.

Saint Fulgentius

Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe was born in 846 AD in Thala (located in what is now the city of Frenda in the Kasserine Governorate, Tunisia). He passed away in 533 AD. He was born into a senatorial family, with a pagan father and a Christian mother named Mariana. His reading of Saint Augustine’s works led him to faith and his decision to embrace the monastic life around the year 493. He was described by Boethius as “the greatest theologian and holiest bishop of his time.”

We know of him primarily through Verandus, a deacon of Carthage who was a fellow monk, and perhaps also his secretary. After visiting the holy places in Rome in 500 AD, Fulgentius returned to Tunisia and was ordained as the bishop of Ruspe, a Byzantine city in North Africa (present-day Tunisia). Between the fifth and sixth centuries, he was exiled to Sardinia, along with nearly sixty other bishops, due to their opposition to Arianism.

After the Arian king Thrasamund’s death in 523, Fulgentius returned to his position as the bishop of Ruspe. He began his efforts to convert the people to Catholicism but, after a few years, he chose to stay. He was called back to his role, and he remained there until his death. The life of Saint Fulgentius is valuable to historians as it serves as a record of the social elite’s migrations to Italy, Sicily, and Sardinia due to the political changes brought about by the Vandal Kingdom’s rule in North Africa, with Carthage as their capital.

Saint Fulgentius was a theologian and had a strong command of the Greek language. He shared a close agreement with Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo. He frequently wrote against Arianism and Pelagianism. Saint Fulgentius left behind a substantial literary legacy, including ten treatises on the Trinity, the science of Christ, and matters related to grace, along with six creedal letters on the same subjects, seven ethical and monastic letters, and a collection of sermons and smaller writings. He is considered a saint in both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, and his feast day is celebrated on January 1, the day of his death.