Who Were the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church?

June 30th is the feast of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. The unnamed individuals were victims of Emperor Nero’s unsubstantiated attack on Christians from A.D. 64 to A.D. 68, which likely included the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. 2 millennia and an ocean away from these martyrs, it’s hard to fathom the atrocities that early Christians had to endure. In a time and place where it is relatively mainstream to proclaim Christ as King, the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome nevertheless serve as a relevant example of how to live faith boldly.

The Roman Emperor Nero was ruling in A.D. 64, when Christians were tolerated, though often misunderstood and met with suspicion. That all changed when the Great Fire of Rome tore through the city in July of the same year. History points to the city’s closely built wooden structures as the cause of destruction, but some citizens of Rome suspected the emperor himself had ordered the fire. In an attempt to deflect these ramblings, Nero turned the blame toward Christians and demanded they be held responsible for the widespread damage. The already ostracized group of Christ followers made an easy target for him, and the accusation of arson opened the gates for brutal retaliation against the alleged criminals. Nero now had cause to openly arrest and inhumanely deal with the growing population of Christians.

No personal crime was necessary to suffer under Nero. If there was any suspicion that someone was even affiliated with Christianity, the Roman guards could impose their authority and demand death. Christians were crucified. They were dressed in animal hides and left to the whims of wild animals. They were made to be human torches to illuminate the entertainment at Circus Maximus. These incomprehensible methods of execution were so far beyond what might have been considered a just penalty that the citizens of Rome became sympathetic toward those who were suffering. While this sympathy never grew into a rebellion or led to mass conversions, it also did nothing to endear the Emperor to his people, and it was his ruthlessness rather than the Christians’ guilt that the persecution confirmed.

The few hundred martyrs that suffered under Nero between A.D. 64 and A.D. 68 are honored as the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. Claiming Christianity came with a death sentence, and yet they did not deny Him. Christians were being erased by the most powerful empire of the time, and yet their faith persisted.

The faith persists today, but we should not be fooled into thinking we are free from persecution. In many parts of the world, religion still carries great risk. Even in the places where freedom feels like a foregone fact and Christianity is a laudable lifestyle, we are still not unchained from serious opposition: An emperor need not arrest Christians to keep them from spreading the Gospel when a screen can steal the productive and connective hours of the day. Wild animals need not greet us with hungry roars, while greed keeps us striving for ownership instead of serving others. Human torches need not be lit when we will willingly and proudly display our sins in the name of individualism.

There is still a system at work against those who desire to bring Christ’s light to the world, and there will be until Christ Himself comes again to conquer it. We must choose whether we stay to claim Him or flee into the distraction and denial the world offers. Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19) cannot be reconciled with “stay and be satisfied with what the world offers.”

May our hearts yearn for what is sacred over what is safe, and may the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome pray for us, that we rightly use whatever freedoms we have to boldly display our faith.