Papinianus of Vita
bishop and saint
Feast: 28 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
In North Africa, in present-day Libyan and Tunisian territory, commemoration of the holy martyrs Papinianus of Vita and Mansuetus of Urusi, bishops, who, during the Vandal persecution, brought their glorious struggle to completion, burned all over their bodies with red-hot iron plates for having defended the Catholic faith against the Arian king Genseric. At that time the holy bishops Urban of Djerba, Crescens of Byzacium, Habetdeus of Teudala, Eustratius of Sufes, Cresconius of Tripoli, Vicus of Sabratha, Felix of Sousse, and finally, under Huneric son of Genseric, the bishops Hortulanus of Bennefa and Florentianus of Mdila, condemned to exile, also ended the course of their lives as confessors of the faith.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 28 November as a bishop burned with red-hot iron plates in the Vandal persecution for defending the Catholic faith.
Connected on this site
- Cresconius of Tripoli Saint“At that time the holy bishops Urban of Djerba, Crescens of Byzacium, Habetdeus of Teudala, Eustratius of Sufes, Cresconius of Tripoli, Vicus of Sabratha, Felix of Sousse, and finally, under Huneric son of Genseric, the bishops Hortulanus of Bennefa and Florentianus of Mdila, condemned to exile, also ended the…” — this site's research
- Eustratius of Sufes Saint“At that time the holy bishops Urban of Djerba, Crescens of Byzacium, Habetdeus of Teudala, Eustratius of Sufes, Cresconius of Tripoli, Vicus of Sabratha, Felix of Sousse, and finally, under Huneric son of Genseric, the bishops Hortulanus of Bennefa and Florentianus of Mdila, condemned to exile, also ended the…” — this site's research
- Felix of Sousse Saint“At that time the holy bishops Urban of Djerba, Crescens of Byzacium, Habetdeus of Teudala, Eustratius of Sufes, Cresconius of Tripoli, Vicus of Sabratha, Felix of Sousse, and finally, under Huneric son of Genseric, the bishops Hortulanus of Bennefa and Florentianus of Mdila, condemned to exile, also ended the…” — this site's research
- Mansuetus of Urusi Saint“In North Africa, in present-day Libyan and Tunisian territory, commemoration of the holy martyrs Papinianus of Vita and Mansuetus of Urusi, bishops, who, during the Vandal persecution, brought their glorious struggle to completion, burned all over their bodies with red-hot iron plates for having defended the…” — this site's research
- Urban of Djerba Saint“At that time the holy bishops Urban of Djerba, Crescens of Byzacium, Habetdeus of Teudala, Eustratius of Sufes, Cresconius of Tripoli, Vicus of Sabratha, Felix of Sousse, and finally, under Huneric son of Genseric, the bishops Hortulanus of Bennefa and Florentianus of Mdila, condemned to exile, also ended the…” — this site's research
- Roman Martyrology, 28 November (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q22580344 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.