St. Eugene of Carthage

St. Eugene of Carthage Biography

After the Vandals conquered northern Africa their king Genseric, an Arian heretic, declared war against the Catholic Church. The policy was continued under his successor, Huneric. An arrangement was eventually made between Huneric and the emperor in Constantinople whereby the Catholics of Carthage were allowed to elect a bishop. Thus Eugenius, in 481, became the first bishop that Carthage had had in almost thirty years. Eugenius worked marvels.

Soon, many of the Vandals were coming into the Catholic Church. This enraged Huneric, and he began the persecution once more. Eugenius was exiled to the desert country of Tripolis and was placed in charge of an inhuman Arian. Huneric died and was succeeded by Gontamund who recalled Eugenius to Carthage. In 496 Gontamund died and was succeeded by Thrasimund who vacillated between support of the Church and persecution of it. In one of his fits of persecution he ordered Eugenius to be beheaded. Eugenius, with his head on the block, made his profession of faith. Then the king changed his mind and ordered Eugenius exiled to an Arian section of France. There Eugenius died on July 13, 505.