PERSECUTION in the EARLY CHURCH

1. PERSECUTION in the EARLY CHURCH PERSECUTION in the EARLY CHURCH

2. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church”-Tertullian

3. Shortly After the Death of Christ -Christians accused of cannibalism, perversion, and incest -Christians used as scapegoats for every misfortune -Christians arrested, harassed, and persecuted

4. The Apostles • Simon Peter: crucified up-side down • Andrew: crucified—St. Andrew’s Cross • James the Greater: beheaded • John: boiled in oil then imprisoned on the island of Patmos • Phillip: crucified • Bartholomew/Nathanael: beaten and crucified • Matthew/Levi: mortally wounded with a sword • Thomas: stabbed with a spear • James the Lesser: thrown from the Temple pinnacle then beaten with a fuller's club • Simon the Zealot: crucified • Jude/Judas/Thaddeus: crucified • Judas Iscariot: suicide by hanging • Matthias (replaced Judas Iscariot): stoned then beheaded

5. Other Early Christian Martyrs Ignatius of Antioch • Martyred in 107 in the arena • Roman Authorities hoped to make an example of him and thus discourage Christianity from spreading. • Instead, he met with and encouraged Christians who flocked to meet him all along his route, and he wrote letters to the churches. Bishop of Antioch

6. Perpetua and Felicity (d. 202) Perpetua, her slave Felicity, and three men were arrested for converting to Christianity. • Ampitheater in Carthage • Scourged • Attacked by wild animals • Then put to the sword

7. Sts. Sergius and Bacchus were the leaders of a group of Roman soldiers under Emperor Diocletian. When it became known that they were Christians, they were tortured and killed.

8. The Roman Coliseum

10. Caesar Nero Emperor: 54-68 • First emperor to persecute Christians • Fire in Rome in 64 • Blamed the Christians (they had a reputation for starting upheavals in Jewish synagogues) • Nero executed the Christians publicly in his gardens and in the circus • "Mockery of every sort accompanied their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired." -Tacitus

11. Caesar Decius Emperor: 249-251 • Empire-wide persecution • Required libelli (certificates) • Options: • Commit apostasy • Send a slave • Bribe someone for a libelli • Confess your faith • Confessors imprisoned • Certificates created

12. Libelli & Confessors The libelliwere documents notarized by Roman authorities to certify that someone had offered sacrifice to the gods. In times of persecution these documents were accepted as proof that someone was not a Christian. Confessorswere Christians who confessed their faith. They were imprisoned for their faith, where other Christians flocked for strength and guidance. Many Christians even sought them for forgiveness of their sins, which became controversial in the Church.

13. Caesar Decius Emperor: 249-251 “They seized first an old man and commanded him to utter impious words. They beat him with clubs, tore his face and eyes with sharp sticks, and dragged him out of the city to stone him. Then they carried to their temple a faithful woman. As she turned away in detestation, they bound her feet and dragged her through the city over the stone-paved streets, dashed her against the millstones, scourged her, and stoned her. Then they rushed to the homes of the pious to steal and plunder. Then they seized the most admirable virgin and broke out her teeth. They threatened to burn her alive if she would not utter impious cries. She leaped eagerly into the fire. There was no street, nor public road, nor lane open to us, by night or day; for always and everywhere, all of them cried out that if any one would not repeat their impious words, he should immediately be dragged away and burned.”

14. Cyprian of Carthage(d. 258) • ½ of his congregation missing • Council in 254 in North Africa • Really long penance for apostates • Long penance for bribers • Certificates are no good • Novatism schism • “No salvation outside the Church.”

15. Caesar Diocletian Emperor: 284-305 • 303 • 4 Edicts: • Destroy Churches & Scriptures • Imprison clergy • Demand clergy to sacrifice to gods • Demand all to sacrifice to gods

16. False Accusations “…they think the Christians the cause of every public disaster, of every affliction with which the people are visited. If the Tiber rises as high as the city walls, if the Nile does not send its waters up over the fields, if the heavens give no rain, if there is an earthquake, if there is famine or pestilence, straightway the cry is, ‘Away with the Christians to the lion!’” - Tertullian (A.D. 197)

17. “They recognize each other by secret marks and signs, and they love one another almost before they become acquainted. Everywhere they mingle together in a kind of religion of lust, indiscriminately calling each other brothers and sisters, with the result that ordinary debauchery…is converted into incest.”“I hear that persuaded by some absurd idea, they consecrate and worship the head of an ass, the lowest of animals. A religion worthy of the sort of practices that gave it birth! Some say that they worship the genitals of their own leader and priest, revering the sexual parts of their own parent. I do not know whether it is false, but certainly a suspicion is attached to secret rites performed at night.”-Caecillius in a debate with the Christian Octavius (second or third century)

18. Quote continued: “Now the story about the initiation of novices is as disgusting as it is well known. An infant covered with flour…is placed before the one who is to be initiated into their rites. The novice…kills the infant with unseen and hidden wounds. The infant's blood - oh horrible! - they lap up thirstily; its limbs they parcel out eagerly. By this victim they ally themselves with one another; by their complicity in this crime they pledge themselves to mutual silence.” -Caecillius in a debate with the Christian Octavius (second or third century)

19. Catacombs of Rome • First carved in the second century. • Used for burial and memorial services of Christian martyrs. • In 380, the practice of catacomb burial declined. • In the 6th century, catacombs were used only for martyrs’ memorial services. • By the 10th century catacombs were abandoned, and holy relics were transferred to above-ground basilicas. • They remained forgotten until they were accidentally rediscovered in 1578.

20. Burial niches were carved into walls: 16-24” high and 47-59” long

24. Some bodies were placed in chambers in stone sarcophagi.

25. The Edict of Galerius in 311 “Let Christians have the right to exist again, and to set up their places of worship, provided always that they do not offend against public order.”

26. The Edict of Milan in 313 • Constantine(d. 338) • Battle at SaxaRubra • Baptized a Christian in 337 • Religious liberty for Christians

27. Emperor Julian the Apostate

28. Theodosius I 391 Edict against Paganism

29. Modern Persecution Religious persecution continues around the world. Many argue that today’s persecution is worse as it is more wide-spread and results in more martyrs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uekLQTA25tUStart at 3:45

30. Around the World Pope John Paul II wrote in his 1994 apostolic letter TertioMillennioAdveniente(The Coming Third Millennium), "The Church has once again become a Church of martyrs." Christians today are the most persecuted religious group in the world. Torture, enslavement, rape, imprisonment, killings...even crucifixions are among the atrocities perpetrated upon believers around the world.

31. Modern Persecution • An estimated 200 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ. • 160,000 people die every year as a result of violence directed against Christianity. • In the 20th century, more Catholics lost their lives as martyrs than in any previous century in the history of the Church.

32. Modern Martyrs St. Edith Stein, a convert from Judaism to Catholicism who died at the hands of the Nazis in Auschwitz in 1942. St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan priest who gave up his life for that of a fellow prisoner in Auschwitz in 1942.

33. Modern Martyrs Archbishop Oscar Romero The Archbishop of San Salvador was a champion of the poor who was assassinated while celebrating Mass in 1980.

34. Modern Martyrs St. Josephine Bakhita Born in southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of seven, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. Her body was mutilated by those who enslaved her, but they could not touch her inner spirit. She was later baptized and became a Canossiansister.

35. Are you willing to stand in the face of persecution?