Year 362, Carthage (Africa)
Divine justice does not always punish man at the very moment he commits a crime; rather, the infinite mercy of God often seems to go out to meet him, to disarm and delay His wrathful arm for some time, so that the offender may repent of his guilt, obtain forgiveness, and be saved.
Nevertheless, to remove from the human heart the presumptuous trust in God's goodness and to instill a constant hatred for sin, the historical annals record countless examples of terrible punishments justly deserved for heinous crimes committed.
St. Optatus, bishop of Milevis in Numidia, recounts that in Carthage, when the Donatist schism began, they, driven by their hatred for the Catholic Church, committed many outrages, wounding the religious sentiments of those who faithfully adhered to the teachings and doctrines of the true Church of Christ.
The treachery of the heretics reached such a point that they joined the rabble of the people, always inclined to crime, and forming a large group, gave themselves over to looting, plundering as many churches as they could, to the great sorrow of the city.
In one of these, they had the audacity to desecrate and steal the sacred vessels, and not knowing what to do with the consecrated Hosts contained therein, with diabolical cynicism they threw them to the street dogs to be devoured. But—just punishment of God!—immediately the dogs went rabid, and with terrifying fury turned upon the wicked desecrators and tore them apart, thus avenging the injury done to the Most Holy Sacrament.
St. Optatus, Schism of the Donatists – Baronius, “Annales Ecclesiastici”, vol. IV, p. 101, litt. e
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