The Church Persecuted and Defend

For 300 years the powerful Roman Empire waged an almost uninterrupted war of persecution on the early Church of Christ. Christians were always under suspicion and in danger of being arrested and put to death.

1. How long did the pagan Roman Empire wage war on the Church?

2. Why did the powerful Roman Empire fear the humility of Jesus Christ and hate his followers?

The Romans were not interested in eternal spiritual life but put all their emphasis on happiness in worldly power and possessions, comforts, and pleasures. They recognized no authority above the state, no power above the emperor. They considered the state divine and the emperor was looked upon as a god. Christians could not accept these teachings, or that the state could do no wrong. Christians were taught by their faith to obey the state only when its laws were not against the supreme laws of God. They respected the authority of the state and its laws when they did not interfere with the right of the individual citizen to have a union with God and be worthy of eternal life.

Consequently, the Romans could not understand how Christians could be good citizens. To profess and practice the true Christian faith was therefore regarded as treason against the empire. While claiming to be tolerant of all religions, the Romans made exception to the Christian religion.

3. How did leaders of pagan religions regard the Christians?

Those attached to pagan temples, who made their living from pagan worship, hated the Christians. Also, those who made pagan idols or provided meat and material for pagan sacrifices did not want to see the spread of Christianity, as it threatened their means of existence and mode of worship. They therefore supported movements to destroy Christians.

4. What kind of charges were made against the Christians?

False accusations, appealing to ignorance and the passions of the mob spirit, were used against the Christians. False rumors were spread, whereby they were accused of immorality, since they met in secret. It was said that they had a sacrifice in which little children were killed and eaten. Ignorance and hatred caused the pagans to spread vicious lies.

Christians were also accused of plotting to overthrow the empire. When problems arose in society, such as a pestilence or hard times, the Christians were blamed, as pagans said the gods were angry because the Christians refused to worship them.

5. What were the chief persecutions decreed by the Roman emperors against the Christians?

There were ten great persecutions.

The first was under Nero, about the year 64.

The second was under Domitian, about 95.

The third was under Trajan, about 107. One of its first victims was Pope St. Clement. Simeon, second bishop of Jerusalem, was crucified, and St. Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch, was cast to lions in the amphitheater in Rome. The same persecution continued under Hadrian, who condemned St. Symphorosa and her seven sons to death. Holy places in Jerusalem were profaned and statues to false gods were placed on Mt. Calvary and over the holy sepulchre of Jesus, the Lord.

The fourth was under Marcus Aurelius, about 167. St. Polycarp, 86 years old, was killed at the stake. In Lyons and Vienne, in France, St. Pothinus, first bishop of Lyons, and Blandina, a heroic young slave, were martyred.

The fifth was under Septimius Severus, about 202. Even though cured by the prayers of a Christian, he turned against them. Of this persecution St. Clement of Alexandria wrote: "We see daily many martyrs burned and crucified before our eyes." Also martyred were St. Irenaeus at Lyons and St. Perpetua and St. Felicitas at Carthage.

The sixth was under Maximus Thrax, about 236. Popes Pontian and Anterus were martyrs in this persecution. Repeated earthquakes were considered by the heathens to be due to the neglect of their gods, and so they cried: "The Christians to the lions!"

The seventh was under Decius, about 250. This persecution was especially directed against the bishops and priests of the Church. Decius said that Christianity and the Roman Empire could never be reconciled. St. Agatha and St. Apollonia were martyred at this time.

The eighth was under Valerian, about 258. Pope Sixtus Il and the deacon St. Lawrence were martyred.

The ninth was under Emperor Aurelian. This persecution of the Christians did not last long, for the emperor soon met a violent death.

The tenth was under Diocletian, about 303. This was the most violent of the persecutions. Diocletian even had a coin struck which read "Diocletian, emperor, who destroyed the Christian name." Martyrs under Diocletian were St. Sebastian, tribune of the imperial guard, who was shot with arrows and left to die a lingering death. Also, St. Anastasia, the youth; St. Agnes of Rome; St. Lucia of Syracuse; and many others were martyred who had consecrated their virginity to Christ.

6. Summarize the persecutions of the early Christians as they became more general.

Persecutions of the Christians became general under the reign of Emperor Decius (A.D. 250) as the Roman Empire everywhere began an organized effort to destroy the Church. Before his time, persecutions were frequent but limited to certain provinces. Nero had struck out at Christians in the city of Rome. Domitian was concerned because so many of the higher classes of citizens, leading men of the state, were turning to the faith of Christ Jesus. He even banished his own wife to a lonely island and put his cousin to death because of this. What must have been the strong witness of the early Christians to make such converts under such conditions?

For fifty years after the time of Septimius Severus, Christians had considerable freedom, since the emperor had many things to be concerned with. There was much unrest throughout the empire. The emperor had to obey the military leaders, who controlled the state. The government changed frequently. The Roman Senate lost its power.

During this time Christians could own their own property and build churches. However, under affluence, some Christians became worldly and less fervent and their faith was weakened. Is there not a lesson in this for modem Christians, who may become too comfortable in the world?

The brief period of freedom for the early Christians ended, as indicated, under Decius, who was determined to destroy Christianity entirely. A person who was even suspected of being a Christian was arrested and tortured until he died or gave up the faith.

There was no limit, it seemed, to the persecutions. Christians were cast before wild beasts for entertainment, scourged, put to the rack, burned at a stake, crucified, and tortured in many other ways to satisfy the cruel customs of the pagans.

If the shepherd is struck down, the flock is scattered and disunited. The emperor Decius realized this when his persecution of Christians was aimed primarily against the bishops and priests of the Church. Without men of holy orders, the Church cannot exist or function as Christ intends. The Church needs valid bishops to ordain other bishops and priests and to pass on the power which Jesus gave the first priests in the persons of the apostles. Without a valid priesthood, there can be no sacrifice of the Mass, which perpetuates the worship of Jesus Christ on the cross and brings his resurrected body in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Also, there can be no sacrament of penance for the forgiveness of sin; no confirmation for the special coming of the Holy Spirit to souls and sealing them in Christ Jesus to complete baptism.

Many Christians, not strong in the faith, became apostates and offered sacrifices to pagan gods. Others, while not offering sacrifices, used bribery to obtain certificates saying they had offered pagan sacrificial worship. Even some bishops and priests were among those who thus denied Christ Jesus.

When the persecution was over, some held that the apostates should not be forgiven. The debate ended with the Church receiving the apostates back into the true fold, but they were punished by having to do penance for the rest of their lives.

During the persecutions the popes remained strong and firm in the faith, dying as true shepherds in imitation of Christ Jesus. Governing the Church was very difficult during the persecutions, but historical records attest that the chief pontiffs of the Church used their authority well, watching for wolves.

7. Did the persecutions bring happiness and satisfaction to the persecuting emperors?

On the contrary. Nero stabbed himself to death as his people revolted against him. Domitian was assassinated. Hadrian went insane in despair. Marcus Aurelius starved himself to death, heartbroken over the ingratitude of his only son, Commodus. Septimius Severus died in despair, as his life had been attempted by his son. Decius, in a battle with the Goths, was killed in a swamp. Valerian was flayed alive, having been taken prisoner by Sapor, the king of Persia. Maxentius was drowned in the Tiber. Diocletian starved himself to death.

8. What are the Roman catacombs?

The catacombs are underground tunnels that were bored through soft rock. They are long, narrow, winding corridors. The dead were buried in the walls on either side. From time to time, going through these corridors, one comes to a wider space, like a room. In these rooms the Christians would gather for the sacrifice of the Mass, so as to worship free from the pagans' persecutions.

Burial in the catacombs stopped when the barbarians plundered Rome. The popes removed the relics of the saints and martyrs from the catacombs to the Roman churches in the seventh and eighth centuries. The catacombs, once abandoned, were gradually forgotten and not discovered again until the end of the sixteenth century. Most famous of the catacombs is that of St. Callistus, where many of the popes were buried after they were martyred for the faith.

9. How do the catacombs bear witness to the true Catholic faith even today?

An authentic Catholic catechism, containing to true Catholic teachings, could be composed from the pictures and inscriptions on the tombs and walls of the ancient catacombs of the first centuries. Pictures, medals, and inscriptions in the catacombs identify the faith of the early Christians with the Catholic faith.

The catacombs prove that the first Christians believed that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man. They also believed in the real presence of Jesus in the holy Eucharist, the divine institution of the papacy, the dignity of the Mother of God, the intercession of the saints, purgatory, and prayers for the deceased.

The emblem of the fish, ichthys, was frequently used in the catacombs. It is a symbol of the Lord Jesus, for the Greek word ichthys means "fish" and its letters are the initials for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior." When the Christians spoke of "receiving the fish," they meant to receive Jesus in holy Communion.

Frequently, pictures of our Savior in the catacombs reveal him as the Good Shepherd, carrying the lost sheep on his shoulders. This is the ancient biblical form which reveals the same message as our modem devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A number of people are pictured sitting around a table on which are bread and fish.

Death and resurrection were often in the minds of the early Christians, as indicated by pictures of Noe and the ark, Jonah and the whale, Daniel in the lions'den, and the raising of Lazarus. Their faith in resurrection and eternal life gave them courage in facing death under persecution. There is also the famous account of Tarsicius being martyred as he took the holy Eucharist, the bread of life, to Christian prisoners.

The eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass was offered in the catacombs on altars under which rested the bodies of martyrs. Catholic altars even today have "altar stones" in which relics of saints and martyrs were placed by bishops when they consecrated the altar stones.

10. What role did Tertullian play in the early Church?

The apologist Tertullian, bom in Carthage about 160, was a scholar of Greek and Latin literature. He was also a lawyer. Practicing in the city of Rome, he became a Christian around the year 193. Returning to Carthage, he became a great defender of the faith.

His original style was imitated by others. As a layman, he wrote in Latin. He is called the Father of Ecclesiastical Latin. His most famous work is the Apologeticus, in which he answers charges against the Christians and shows how the Christian religion and its teachings are superior to all others, and the emptiness of paganism.

Tertullian, while very gifted, became too "rigorous." His severity led to a fanaticism in which he did not believe that certain sins could be forgiven. He held that all kinds of amusements are sinful.

While Tertullian went too far, and beyond the teaching of Christ and his Church, his apologetical writings were valuable to history as records of certain basic beliefs of the early Christian Church.

11. Who was the apologist Origen?

From 203 until 230, Origen was in charge of one of the earliest educational institutions in the Church of which we have historical records, the catechetica school in the city of Alexandria. Instruction was given in the scriptures and Christian doctrine, and also in the Greek sciences. Of great intellectual ability, Origen began teaching when he was only 17 years old. He wrote many books, although we have only remnants of his writings. He wrote a book, On Prayer, commentary on the Lord's Prayer.

When Origen was ordained a priest without the knowledge of his bishop, he was removed from the catechetical school. He went to Caesarea and opened another school, which became as famous as that at Alexandria.

Arrested under Emperor Decius, he was tortured in every imaginable way, but Origen held fast to the faith. Sixty-seven years old and subjected to great torture, he held to the faith. After two years he was given freedom, but, badly injured and in broken health, he lived only two more years.

12. Who are meant by the "apologists" of the Church?

Apologists are the great writers who in the second century defended and explained the doctrines of Christianity. They proved how false and contrary to reason were the arguments of those who attacked the Church. Many of their works have been lost, but we have some of them in part or in whole. Sometimes other ancient writers quoted them, although their original work is lost.

13. What is significant about the apologist St. Justin Martyr?

St. Justin Martyr was born in Sichem, in Palestine, of Roman parents shortly after A.D. 100. Hungry for truth, he studied all pagan teachings, but his soul was not satisfied. Meeting an aged Christian, he heard for the first time the message of Jesus the Savior. He felt he had found the truth.

St. Justin then made a deeper study of Christianity and became a master of its doctrines. Going to Rome, he opened a school of Christian philosophy. He wrote Dialogue with Trypho, a defense against the Jews' position. He wrote two Apologies to the emperor, the Senate, and the Roman people. The second of these apologies merited his martyrdom under Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

14. What did St. Irenaeus do as an apologist?

St. Irenaeus was the bishop of Lyons. He came from Syria and Asia Minor, and was a disciple of St. Polycarp. He was concerned not only with attacks of pagans but with errors and heresies seeping into the Church among her own members.

Some of the learned Christians, studying religions that had their origin in eastern countries such as Persia, confused these religious beliefs in attempting to explain the Christian mysteries, but their explanations had nothing to do with di, vine revelation. St. Irenaeus wrote Against the Heresies to correct these mistakes.

The oldest catechism in existence was written by St. Irenaeus and is called The Proof of the Apostolic Teaching. In it, St. Irenaeus clearly states the fundamental truths of the Church. Even a child can understand his basic explanations.

15. Who is St. Cyprian of Carthage?

St. Cyprian was the son of a wealthy patrician family of Carthage. Well educated, he became a teacher of rhetoric. Around the year 245 he converted to Chrisitanity and followed the advice of Jesus to give his wealth to the poor. He worked to promote the true teachings of the Church. Within four years, in 249, he was ordained bishop of Carthage.

Tertullian was a guide to St. Cyprian in the art of expression, and so St. Cyprian called him his "master." St. Cyprian wrote On the Unity of the Catholic Church. In this famous work he says: "Outside the Church there is no salvation. He cannot have God as his Father who has not the Church for his Mother." He likened the Church to the seamless robe of Christ.

St. Cyprian was martyred in 258. SUMMARY

St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, who left us a list of the popes of the first and second centuries and who wrote about the year 200, said: "With the Church of Rome all churches must agree on account of her higher rank (Adv. Haereses 3,3).

Writings by non-Christians have come down to us which testify to the continuity of the faith of the early Christians with ours today. Pliny, the governor of Bethynia, wrote to the pagan emperor Trajan, giving a remarkable report about the Christians: "They assemble on certain days before sunrise to sing hymns of praise in honor of Christ, their God; they take an oath to abstain from certain crimes and partake of a common but blameless meal" (the holy Eucharist).

The Christian influence of St. Polycarp, disciple of St. John the Apostle, won the reluctant admiration of the pagans and Jewish accusers, who wrote: "He is the teacher of Asia, father of the Christians and destroyer of our gods." When he was commanded to deny Christ, St. Polycarp replied: "I have served Christ for six and eighty years, and never has he done me evil. How, then, can I blaspheme my King and Savior?"

St. Cyprian gave testimony to the fear of the pagans for the papacy when he wrote, during the seventh persecution: "Emperor Decius had become so jealous of papal authority that he said: 'I will rather have a rival in my empire, than to hear of the election of the priest of God [Pope Cornelius] in Rome."

St. Lawrence, a deacon under Pope Sixtus II in the eighth persecution, gave us a marvelous manifestation of the values of many early Christians who were persecuted. Commanded to turn over the treasures of the Church, St. Lawrence gathered the poor in assembly and showed them to his persecutor with these words: "Behold the treasures of the Church."

During the tenth persecution, Bishop Felix was commanded to turn over the sacred books of the Church. As he was led to his execution, he said: "It is better that I be cast into the fire, than the sacred volumes. I thank you, O Lord, for fifty-six years of my life were spent in your service. I have preserved sacerdotal chastity, have guarded the holy gospels, and preached your truth. For You, O Jesus, God of heaven and earth, I offer myself as victim."

The apologists of the first centuries, who defended the true doctrines of the Church, are as valuable today as they were in the very first centuries. Not only did they need to explain and defend the faith for the sake of guiding the Christians but to defend themselves from the pagans who sought falsely to accuse and destroy them.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Why was the Church of Christ such a threat to the Roman Empire?
What was the attitude of Christians toward the state?
Why did the emperor Decius strike out, especially against bishops and priests, in his effort to destroy Christianity?
Why did promoters of pagan religions want to destroy the Christians?
Does it seem that the persecuting emperors were dealt justice even in this world? Explain.
What are the Roman catacombs?
What is meant by apologetics?
Why are the Roman catacombs a valuable instrument for teaching apologetics today?
Who wrote the oldest Catholic catechism in existence and what is significant about it?
Give examples of some of the false accusations against the early Christians.
What happened during the period when the persecutions of the first centuries were interrupted?
What lesson can be learned by modern-day Christians from the reaction of early Christians when the practice of their faith was made easy?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Fox, Rev. J. "The Church Persecuted and Defended." Chap. 3 in A Catechism of Church History: 2,000 Years of Faith and Tradition (Alexandria: Park Press Quality Printing, Jubilee 2000 Edition), 17-24.

Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

THE AUTHOR

Father Robert J. Fox is the director of the Fatima Family Apostolate and editor of the Immaculate Heart Messenger. Before founding his own Apostolate and editing his own magazine Father Robert J. Fox for many years was a columnist with leading Catholic magazines, newspapers, and journals in the United States. In addition to being pastor of St. Mary of Mercy Church, Alexandria, SD he is also chaplain to Mother of Mercy Carmelite Monastery where reside discalced Carmelite nuns who as contemplatives are enclosed for prayer and sacrifice for the universal Church, priests in particular.

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