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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Feast of the First Martyrs of the Church

Feast of the First Martyrs of the Church

Published Jun 30, 2021 03:58 pm

The Roman Catholic Church honors Wednesday, June 30, the memory of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, the faithful followers of Jesus Christ who bravely and willingly gave up their lives for their faith at a time of intense Christian persecution.

First Martyrs of the Church (Image from Catholic online)

Pope Clement I said, “The blood of the first martyrs, the Christians martyred in the city of Rome during Emperor Nero’s persecution in 64 A.D., has always been and will always be, the seed of Christianity.”

Also known as the “Protomartyrs of Rome,” the Christian martyrs, that included the pillars of the Catholic Church, Saints Peter and Paul, were persecuted, tortured, and killed in August 64 A.D. upon the orders of Emperor Nero. The emperor also destroyed by fire half of the city of Rome, so he could enlarge his palace and rebuild the city. To shift the blame, he accused the Christians and started persecuting them.

The cruelty of the tortures that included igniting the martyrs as human torches and crucifying them aroused the horror and pity of the Romans, eventually causing many to convert to Christianity. Emperor Nero was later threatened by an army revolt and condemned to death. Four years later, he committed suicide at the age of 31.

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