back into the Church community, describing, in terms of
eulogy, the heroism of the martyrs. The question of whether
to re-baptise them or not was a central one, discussed in his
letters. Abba Donysius affirmed the oneness of baptism, but
stated that each church had the right to act according to its
own traditions. Thus he sought to preserve the unity of the
Church Universal and to prevent all dissension’s.
- While striving to do all this constructive work, once
more calamity overtook this Pope and his people. Emperor
Valerianus, who had shown such great consideration to the
Christians, and had left them in peace for a long period of
time, suddenly turned against them and began to persecute
them. Abba Dionysius was summoned before the Augustal
perfect, and when he refused to give adoration to none other
than God, he was banished to a place called Kefro in the
wilds of the Libyan desert. Hearing of this, a large body of
Christians accompanied him from Alexandria and from all
over Egypt. - Once in exile, Abba Dionysius resumed his
intellectual and spiritual activities, writing, teaching,
spreading the Word of God: Thus his banishment caused the
Faith to flourish even among the desert dwellers. And while
he was winning new recruits for Christ, he wrote more and
more letters, some of which are still existent today, extolling
the faithfulness and steadfastness of the martyrs, and lauding
the example they set to all Christians. - The exile of Abba Dionysius lasted three and a half
years. When he had been summoned before the Augustal
Prefect to hear the decree that he was to be banished, he
gave a prophetic answer concerning the Emperor. Quoting
the words of the Apocalypse given in Revelations chapter