AGAPETA

AGAPETA In ecclesiastical history, agapeta, meaning "well-beloved", was a name given to certain virgins who in the ancient church associated themselves with ecclesiastics, out of a motive of piety and charity.

In the primitive days, there were women instituted as deaconesses; who devoting themselves to the service of the church, took up their abode with the ministers, and assisted them in their functions. See DEACON.

In the fervor of the primitive piety, there was nothing scandalous in these societies; but they afterwards degenerated into libertinism; so much so, that St. Jerome asks, with indignation, "Uade Agapetarum festis in ecclesiis introiit?" This gave occasion to councils to suppress them.



St. Athanasius mentions a priest named Leontius, who, to remove all occasion of suspicion, offered to mutilate himself, to preserve his companion.

AGAPETA