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From: [log in to unmask] Date sent: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 16:04:37 -0500 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Delayed Baptism Send reply to: [log in to unmask] On October 11 the calendar of feast days on Medieval-Religion included St. Nectarius, who succeeded Gergory Nazianzen as archbishop of Constantinople in 397. We are told he was unbaptized when chosen for this important episopal office. This week I happened to be reading the biographical article in New Cath. Ency. on St. Caesarius of Nazianzus, the brother of Gregory Nazianzen. According to this brief article Caesarius was a physician at court, who narrowly escaped death in an earthquake. At this point he decided to "follow the ascetical life" and to be baptized. He died suddenly after being baptized. Not only was his brother a saint, but his father, mother, and sister are regarded as saints. He became honored as a saint shortly after his death. One relates these two saints who delayed baptism until late in their lives to St. Ambrose and to Constantine, both also fourth century Christians. One suspects that Nectarius was related to the court in some way prior to being made a bishop, and if so all four would have had that in common. One also thinks of King Wamba of Spain, who in 680 fell ill and was baptized in the expectation that he would die. He however recovered, perciptating a constitutional crisis which had to be settled by a council, at which the bishops reaffirmed the Church's tradition that baptized persons could not wear the "militare cingulum," thus preventing Wamba from regaining the throne. (See J.N.Hillgarth's introduction to vol. 115 of CCSL). This is an area in which my own expertise is only that of a generalist. Do any of the many experts on the list have any insight on this phenomenon? If so it will be gratefully received. Ivan J. Kauffman Washington, DC 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? (On Carolingian canon law surrounding this point cf. K. Leyser, 'Early medieval canon law and the beginnings of knighthood' in his Communications and Power in Medieval Europe: the Carolingian and Ottonian Centuries, ed. T. Reuter (London and Rio Grande, 1994). (The only stuff about Wamba I have to hand is R. Collins, Early Medieval Spain, p.120). 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. Julia Barrow University of Nottingham %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%