Exiles Asking for Peace

Caldonius to Cyprian and to his fellow elders at Carthage: greetings. What these times require keeps us from granting peace in a hurry. Even so, it seemed right to write and tell you about people who sacrificed, were put on trial a second time, and were sent into exile. To me they seem to have made good the crime they committed before, in that they are now letting go of their property and their homes and, having repented, are following Christ. [a]

Take Felix, who assisted in the work of an elder under Decimus, and who was right beside me in chains — I knew that same Felix through and through. He, and Victoria his wife, and Lucius were faithful, and they were sent into exile. They have left their property behind, and the treasury is holding it now.

There is also a woman named Bona, dragged to the sacrifice by her own husband. Her conscience was not guilty of the crime, since it was the people holding her hands who did the sacrificing, and she began to cry out against them: “I did not do it — you did it!” She too was banished.

So all of these have been asking for peace. They say, “We have got back the faith we had lost. We have repented, and we have confessed Christ in public.” It does seem to me that they ought to be given peace. Still, I have referred them to your judgment, so as not to look as if I were taking anything on myself rashly. If you would rather I acted on a decision we all share, write to me.

Greet our brothers; our brothers greet you. I wish you well always and with all my heart, dearly loved brothers.