Lapsi was the name given to apostates in the early Christian Church, when Christians were persecuted by the Roman authorities to renounce their faith. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual/group by another group The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial It also means those who have lapsed or fallen away from their faith and decide later in life to come back to it.

Contents 1 Sacrificati 2 Thurificati 3 Libellatici 4 Acta facientes 5 Traditores 6 See also 7 Bibliography 8 References

Sacrificati

Those who had actually offered a sacrifice to the idols. Christians that made sacrifices, especially to Roman gods, were only offered absolution on their deathbeds.

Thurificati

Those who had burnt incense on the altar before the statues of the gods. From Latin thurificare - "burn incense"

Libellatici

Those who had drawn up attestation (libellus), or had, by bribing the authorities, caused such certificates to be drawn up for them, representing them as having offered sacrifice, without, however, having actually done so. A libellus (plural libelli) was a document given to a Christian to certify performance of a Pagan Sacrifice, hence demonstrating A two year sanction was imposed as penance. From Latin libellus - "little book; letter; certificate"

Acta facientes

Those that made false statements or other acts to save their lives. From Latin - "those doing the acts"

Traditores

Main article: Traditors

Those who gave up sacred scriptures, artifacts and/or revealed names of fellow Christians. Traditor, pl traditores (lat, is a term meaning the one(s who had handed over. From Latin tradere - "hand over; deliver; betray”

See also

• Novatianism
• Donatism

Bibliography

• Cyprian of Carthage: De lapsis and De Ecclesiae Catholicae unitate. The Novatianists following Novatius or Novatian, held a strict view that refused readmission to communion of lapsi, those baptized Christians who had denied their The Donatists (named for the Berber Christian Donatus Magnus) were followers of a belief considered a Schism by the broader churches of the Text and translation by Maurice Bévenot. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1971

References

• Catholic Encyclopedia, Lapsi
• Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908: Novatian
• Christian Cyclopedia - Lutheran Missouri Synod: Lapsi

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