> Surely it was not Wamba's baptism but the fact that he was a penitent which
> prevented him from resuming use of the cingulum militare?
> This story reflects the fact that in the late antique and early medieval period
> penance was a one-off action, and was therefore often put off until late in life
> or until a sinner became gravely ill.
>
>One cannot be a penitent until after baptism; it was regarded as a 'second baptism'. Any sins
committed before baptism would have been considered absolved by the baptism; if the
constitutional crisis broke immediately after his baptism he would hardly have bad time to
commit such further sins as would require penance.
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