These men and women were arrested because of their faith in Jesus, and because they were an easy group to blame for the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64. Tacitus, a Roman historian, wrote:
“Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace.… Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to 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.
“Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed.”
According to a National Catholic Register article of Jan. 16, 2018, “There are more than 215 million persecuted Christians worldwide, according to the 2018 ‘World Watch List,’ Open Doors USA’s annual ranking of the 50 worst countries for violence and persecution against Christians.” This includes 3,066 Christians killed, 1,252 abducted; 1,020 raped or sexually harassed; and 793 churches attacked.
We need to be aware that martyrdom is not an ancient phenomenon. We need to pray for our brothers and sisters, who are witnessing to our faith. Mary, Mother of Martyrs, pray for us.
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