Paphnutius of Thebes

Paphnutius of Egypt, also Paphnutius, (* in Egypt, † 360 ) was a Christian Confessor, abbot and bishop of the upper Thebaid.

Life

To him 308 for his faith, in the persecution of Christians ( 303-312/13 ), were gouged out an eye of Emperor Maximinus Daia and severed the tendons of the left knee. Then he had to work for three years as a forced laborer in a mine. In the year 311 he was released, probably lived as a monk at Anthony the Great, and was elected bishop of the upper Thebaid few years later. He fought Arianism, which he vehemently denounced also the first Council of Nicaea. He was extremely popular with the people. John Cassian into his Twenty-four interviews with the fathers ( Collationes patrum ) on numerous episodes from the life of Paphnutius.

Paphnutius is Coptic language and means of ( to ) God heard the end.

He is considered the patron saint of miners. His Catholic feast day is September 11, the Orthodox June 12 and the Coptic February 9 and May 1

Hrotsvit of Gandersheim 965 wrote a dialogue legend about Paphnutius.

Paphnutius ' criticism of celibacy

Socrates Scholasticus reports about the (alleged ) occurrence of Paphnutius at the Council of Nicaea, where Paphnutius uttered against the celibacy of the clergy. Socrates writes. :

Doubts about the intervention at the Council

Or at least the speech at the Council - - ​​From the theologian Friedhelm Winkelmann its existence is doubted, as Athanasius the Great, another fighter against Arianism, did not mention him. Winkelmann argues that the failure to mention Paphnutius ' of Athanasius, when it should have been a fellow in his fight against Arianism, would disprove the participation of Paphnutius the Council of Nicea.

Sources outside the Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholastikus for the intervention of Paphnutius at the Council of Nicaea, there is not, although he himself is frequently mentioned in patristic texts. Theodoret of Cyrus calls about Paphnutius in his Ecclesiastical History, especially as participants of the Nicene Council, but does not mention his speech.

In addition, there should have been until the death of Athanasius no such Paphnutius legend in Egypt. It was built towards the end of the 4th century. Winkelmann assumes that the reports were about Paphnutius taken the lives of two men of this name and intertwined, creating a legendary third person was born.

Stefan Heid uses this theory in his book Celibacy in the early Church. The beginnings in order to underpin the apostolicity of obligatory celibacy of clerics in East and West. He called the report of the intervention at the Council " a typical justification legend as it can only come from a schismatic or heretical special church that stands up to a tradition of the overwhelming majority of the bishops ." He describes a possible origin of the legend and suspected as the author of the Novatians.