Cornelius: There was no pope for 14 months after the martyrdom of St.Fabian because of the intensity of the persecution of the Church. Cornelius was elected pope and apparently one of his biggest problems was with the Sacrament of Penance and centred on the readmission of Christians who had abandoned the Church during the persecutions.

Cyprian: Cyprian was friends with Cornelius. He is important in the development of Christian thought and practice in the 3rd century especially in northern Africa. Highly educated, a famous orator he was converted to Christianity as an adult. He distributed goods to the poor. He became a priest and against his will a bishop of Carthage. During a plague in Carthage, he urged Christians to help everyone, including their enemies and persecutors. He was a mixture of good and kindness, courage and steadiness. Controversies such as baptism and penance were a reminder that the early church also had to deal with problems, adapt, learn and reorganise.