Lucifer of Cagliari

Lucifer of Cagliari, also called Lucifer Calaritanus, († 371 ) was bishop of Cagliari, where it is revered as a saint of the Catholic Church. Its name literally means bringer of light and goes back to the Latin term for Lucifer, the morning star.

For the first time demonstrated its appearance Lucifer of Cagliari 354 as a member of a papal legation at the court of the Roman emperor Constantius II in Arles, whose job it was to work on behalf of Pope Liberius on the convening of a council. As legate of the Pope at the Synod of Milan in 355, he proved to be unswerving defender of the Nicene Creed. He refused to sign the target of Constantius condemnation of Athanasius and then was first to Syria, then to Palestine and eventually exiled to Egypt. His uncompromising struggle against the Arians did not allow him to even get in touch with them. He was not willing to attend the initiated by Athanasios Council of Alexandria, or even the result - the agreement with the Meletianern - to accept, even though it had 362 Emperor Julian the return allowed in his home.

Instead, he appointed in Antioch with its own bishop Paulinus for which holding to the Nicene Creed community, making the Antiochene schism was deepened.

Lucifer of Cagliari is as a theologian no notable personality. Well he gathered a large number of supporters - among them Gregory of Elvira, Heraklidas of Oxyrhynchus and Ephesius of Rome - around, who could pursue as Luciferians for a short time a certain influence. About the precise views of the Luciferians gives us the " Altercatio Luciferiani et orthodoxi " from the pen of them hostile to the church father Jerome information.

His writings are important historical sources said, as he often Vulgar Latin used in them.