THE PERSECUTED

CHURCH
Reflection:
• How do you feel about the possibility
of being persecuted on account of
your faith? Are you ready to die for
your faith? Why or why not?
Church teaching
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church in the
Modern World (Lumen Gentium ), 8
“The church, like a pilgrim in a foreign land, presses
forward amid persecution of the world and the
consolations of God, announcing the cross and the
death of the Lord until he comes. By the power of
the Risen Christ, she is given strength to overcome
patiently and lovingly the affections and hardships
which assail her from within and without and to
show forth in the world the mystery of the Lord in
a faithful though shadowed way, until at last it will
be revealed in total splendor”
 Reflection: Read and answer
briefly the following;
• Romans 2: 35-39
• 1. What makes a persecuted people
conquerors?
• 2. What do these verses say about
the love of God? about persecution?
about a suffering people?
 In the early Church those Christians who refused
to renounce the Faith were martyred, often in
public spectacles in places such as the Coliseum.
 Because the death of the martyrs had occurred
there, many of the Roman circuses were held as
sacred by Christians. When the circuses were
dismantled, their material was used in the
construction of Christian churches.
 The earliest Christians referred to the Faith as
“the Way.”
 Living “the Way” required integrity and a strong
commitment. Although living the Faith is always
difficult, it was especially so for the early
Christians.
 Guide Questions:
• 1.  Why was Christianity acceptable and
appealing to the Romans?
• 2.  Identify and explain briefly The Basis of
Christian Persecution.
• 3.  Identify the three distinct periods or
stages of Christian persecution. In each
period/stage give the following: A. Who is
the Emperor/Persecutor B. The nature and
reason for persecution C. Famous Martyrs
 The moral degeneration of the
Roman Empire
The first three centuries of the
Christian era, which the church was
still infant was subject to hostile
pressures by the Roman civil
authority. The threat of severe
persecution existed and actual
persecution occurred mostly during
this period.
When Christianity was preached in Rome,
many of its people were converted to the
New Faith.
In the 2nd century The new faith spread
like wild fire throughout the roman
provinces.
Christian Ideals

• 1.Purity

• 2.Love

• 3.Supernatural faith
Truths of the Christian Faith

1.The fundamental worth and dignity of

the person were given due importance.

2. The dignity of women was exalted

3.The spirit of Christian compassion for
the poor, sick and abandoned made a
deep impression.

4.The thirst for power and wealth was

opposed by the Christian’s respect for the
rights of others to the goods of the earth.

5.Belief in the everlasting treasure of the

next life.
Basis of Christian Persecution

1.The Christians found themselves alienated

from the rest of the society....cannibalism.

2. Public spectacles of bloody games, like

gladiatorial contests, were condemned by
Christians as inhuman.
3.Natural disasters and catastrophes were
attributed to the refusal of the Christians to
participate in the worship of the gods.

4.The Christians showed disloyalty to the

state by not paying the imposed temple tax.
Nota Bene:

In the Emperor cult, religion and patriotism

were closely associated. Anyone who did
not participate in the cult was considered as
endangering the unity of the state. Thus,
refusal to participate meant that a person
was not loyal and obedient to the state and
must be punished.
Christian Persecutors
First Period
1. Emperor Nero (54-60 A.D.) = Christians
turned into living torches.
• Nero was the first to declare Christianity
illegal, and sought to punish all Christians
with death.
Sts. Peter and Paul
2. Emperor Domitian (81-96 A.D.) = Tyrant
NB: St. John the beloved exiled to Patmos
(Bk. Of Revelation or Apocalypse)
Second Period

1. Emperor Trajan (98-117 A.D.) = issued a

decree stating that simply to be a Christian
was punishable by death (Governors of the
Roman provinces).
NB: Ignatius of Antioch
2. Emperor Hadrian (117-138 A.D.) =
Christians must be judged according to
the nature of their crimes.

3. Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.) =

Christians were accused of being atheists
for not worshipping the emperor.
NB: individual or by group (Christians)
4. Marcus Aurelius (161-180 A.D.)
He decreed the legalization of persecution
NB: Justine the Philosopher, Polycarp
of Smyrna and the martyrs of Lyons

5. Septimus Severus (193-211 A.D.) =

Christians were fed to the lions wherever
there was a disaster or famine.
NB: Christians
Third Period
1. Emperor Decius (249-251 A.D.) =
Christianity as a terrible poison. He ordered
all Christians to make a public act of
homage to the roman gods. He passed a
law which required the return of all citizens
to the worship of the state religion.

Martyrs: Christians
2. Emperor Valerian (257-284 A.D.) = He
ordered all bishops, presbyters and deacons
were to offer sacrifice to the gods. Whoever
was caught conducting services or secret
meetings in the cemeteries/catacombs was
punishable by death.
NB: Cyprian of Carthage and Pope Sixtus of
Rome
3. Emperor Diocletian (284-305 A.D.) = The
bloodiest persecution of Christianity. He
decreed that all Christian churches be
destroyed and bibles burned. All meetings of
the Christians were banned and immediate
arrest and execution of all priests and
deacons were ordered. He passed a general
order that all Christians must offer a sacrifice
to the gods.
NB: Arena; eyes and tongues were
gouged out, feet were sawed, others were
thrown into dungeons.
4. Emperor Galerius = he followed the
footsteps of Diocletian from 305 until 312
A.D. But, in 313 A.D. he issued the Edict of
Tolerance for the Christians.

5. Emperor Maximinus Daia = he revoked

the edict of Galerius after Galerius death.
Once, he demanded for Christian blood. But,
suddenly he ordered to stop it.
The Church during and after the Period of
Persecution

Philosophy:
Persecution is martyrdom for
Christ....facing death fearlessly
Theology:
Suffering/Martyrdom is the ideal
Christian discipleship

Liturgy and Creed:

Eucharist = central Christian
worship
= private homes
Fasting:
Wednesday and Friday

Easter Sunday:
Central feast day, celebrated on the Sunday
after Passover

Baptism:
Symbolized a complete washing away of the old
self, celebrated with a complete immersion into
water.
Confession/Public repentance was required

Veneration of Saints developed

The Christians celebrated the feast of the martyrs
by celebrating the Eucharist beside the tombs of
the martyr (intercessions, for divine aid,
deliverance).

Arts and Symbols were curved on the walls

of the tomb of the martyrs.