St. Augustine

[Woman1987]

I just read the biography of St. Augustine. When Augustine was a teenager or maybe around 20, he lived together with a woman and he also had a child with her. Because he was afraid of his social status, he left her and married another woman. When he was in his earlier 30’s, St. Augustine conversed to Catholicism. So what I don’t understand is: How could Augustine become a priest, and later on a Bisshop if he was married? Maybe the marriage was not legal or maybe the wife past away. So, in that case, shouldn’t he have taken his responsibility and take care of his son?

 

[Swiss_Guy]

My guess is that the marriages weren’t ligit, or he became an Eastern Catholic priest in disguise. But for priests to be celibate is a traditional discipline in the West for priests that (I think) got started around 500 A.D. Considering that he was around before then and that it is a discipline, not a doctrine, I don’t see any problem with him being a priest.

Why didn’t he take care of his son?

How do you know that he didn’t?

 

[Woman1987]

I don’'t know but I think it is hard to be a good father for your child and to be a bishop at the same time.

 

[MisterCorduroy]

St. Augustine actually had two concubines and one engagement that he cancelled before converting. “The One” as he called her, was with him for 13 years starting around age 17 and is the mother of his son. So he did raise his son. His son was an adult in his late twenties and was baptized the same day as St. Augustine. So, he never had a valid marriage and did not have minor children before ordination.

 

[Woman1987]

Still I think it makes no sense that Augustine left the mother of his child and his Child, who must have been around 13 years old when he left them.
I just try to figure out how it is possible that a saint make in my opinion such a illogical decision. Maybe it was because he just conversed and didn’t see things clearly.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Still I think it makes no sense that Augustine left the mother of his child and his Child, who must have been around 13 years old when he left them.
I just try to figure out how it is possible that a saint make in my opinion such a illogical decision. Maybe it was because he just conversed and didn’t see things clearly.

You know, unless we are going to Hell, you and I will be Saints someday, too. Saints are people in Heaven. The difference with the Saints of the Church is, the Church declares they are there, so we know they are. But there are many many more people in Heaven than the Saints we recognize.

The Church is a hospital for sinners, as a priest once said in a homily I heard. Saints aren’t born that way, not most of them. We are sinners, you and I, and Augustine and Saint Francis and all the rest.

Do you think Augustine confessed and sincerely repented his sins? Saints are not people who’s lives were perfect, just their afterlives.