AUGUSTIN: HIERÓS SAU MAKÁRIOS? (la români și nu numai!)

Authors

  • Anton ADĂMUȚ "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iasi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52846/afucv.v1i55.89

Keywords:

Augustine, saint, blessed, bishop, West, East, orthodox, catholic

Abstract

Augustine is called hierós, not makários, in Greek manuscripts from the 16th - 17th centuries. Therefore, says professor Dan Negrescu, “even if for Catholics Augustine is Saint, and for Orthodox only Blessed, and among the latter there is a clear tendency to go towards the unanimous acceptance of his holiness. Moreover, it seems that the oscillation of the «appointment» of Augustine and the persistence of Orthodoxy in only «blessing» him, is more recent and has a certain polemical substratum regarding Catholicism. In ancient times, the general appreciation referred to Saint Augustine. Greek manuscripts from the 16th - 17th centuries, containing interpretations from Augustine, present him as being hierós and not makários. In the 19th century, the monks who translated the Augustinian texts, from the Neamț and Secu monasteries, call the same one, sometimes «saint», sometimes «Godly and sanctified Augustine, bishop of Hippo». A Romanian manuscript from Mount Athos includes «the thoughts and words of Saint Augustine, bishop of Hippo». There are only a few evidences of authority over time, including in the Orthodox world. In these conditions, respecting everyone’s option - Eastern or Western – let’s accept the natural and diplomatic solution of honoring Augustine as he deserves, because no one can prevent us from this”. We can consider Augustine normative in terms of Christian teaching, along with Athanasius the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Basil the Great, Ioan Damaschin. Greek Orthodoxy attributes to Augustine the title of Saint (o hierós Avgoustinos), and he was called, including in the East, even if not regularly, with the title with which he was called in the West. Patrologist Ioan G. Coman concludes: “Despite what has just been shown, the majority of Eastern theologians continue to attribute to Augustine the qualification of «blessed», and not that of «saint», a fact that does not prevent anyone from bringing the honor he deserves”.

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Published

2025-07-08