Память святого священномученика Маркеллина

Pope Marcellinus ascended the throne during the reign of Diocletian and Maximian after the death of the most holy Pope Caius in 3713, during the most severe persecution of Christians, when seventeen thousand Christians of both sexes were exterminated in Rome within thirty days after various tortures. At this time, Pope Marcellinus was captured and brought for questioning to Diocletian. But, fearful of cruel torment, he burned incense on the idol altar and made a sacrifice to Vesta and Isis 3714. Wanting to reward him, the emperor dressed him in precious clothes and called him his friend. After this, returning home, Markellin wept bitterly and sobbed like the Apostle Peter once, who renounced Christ (Matthew 26:75). Marcellinus began to denounce and reproach himself, since, although he confirmed many others in the faith and encouraged them to martyrdom, nevertheless he himself fell away from the faith in the most shameful way. Thinking about this, dad grieved unspeakably in his heart. At that time, in the city of Sinuessa in Campania 3715, a local church council took place in 3716, at which many bishops and presbyters gathered, a total of one hundred and eighty people. Markellinus also arrived at this council. Dressed in hair rags and sprinkled with ashes on his head, with contrition of heart, he entered the council to the fathers and, standing before them as an accused, openly confessed his sin before everyone. Shedding bitter tears, he asked honest fathers to judge him. The fathers said: - Condemn yourself with your own lips: sin has come out of your mouth; Let condemnation also be pronounced through your lips. We know that Saint Peter also rejected Christ out of fear, but, having bitterly mourned his sin, he again received favor from his Lord. Then Markellinus pronounced the following sentence on himself: “I recognize myself as deprived of the sacred rank, which I am unworthy of.” For this reason, after my death, let my body not be given over to an ordinary burial, but let it be thrown to be devoured by dogs; may he be cursed who dares to bury him. Returning then to Rome at the end of the conciliar sessions, Marcellinus, taking the precious clothes that he received from Diocletian, went to the latter and, throwing the clothes before him, denounced him, condemned his false gods, and called himself a grave sinner, and wept bitterly. Filled with anger, the emperor gave him over to be tortured and then sentenced him to death. And so blessed Marcellinus was led out of the city along with three Christians - Claudius, Cyrinus and Antoninus - to be beheaded. He was followed by the presbyter Marcellus, who after him took the papal throne. Having called him, the martyr of Christ Marcellinus exhorted him to remain firm in the faith. He also said regarding his body that no one should dare to bury it in the ground, but that it should be thrown to the dogs: “I am not worthy,” he said, “of human burial, I am not worthy to be taken by the earth, since I rejected my Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth!” When they reached the place of execution, the holy martyr Marcellinus fervently prayed to the Lord Christ, who accepts repentant sinners, and he readily offered his neck to be cut off and died for Christ, Whom he first rejected out of fear of torment 3717. Along with him, the three men mentioned, Claudius, Cyrinus and Antoninus, were beheaded and their bodies were thrown unburied along the road. However, after several days, the believers, taking the bodies of Claudius, Cyrinus and Antoninus at night, buried them; no one dared to take Marcellinus’s body and bury it, since he had sworn not to bury his body; and the honest body of the martyr of Christ lay along the road for thirty-six days. After this time, the holy Apostle Peter appeared to the newly installed Pope Marcellus and said: - Why haven’t you buried Marcellino’s body until now? “I fear his oath,” answered Marcellus, “for he swore not to bury his body.” “Don’t you remember,” said the Apostle, “what is written: “he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). So, go and bury his body with honor. Then Pope Marcellus took the honest relics of the martyr and buried them in the tomb of Priscilla - which is located on the Salarian road. This is how the holy martyr Pope Marcellinus died, leaving a model of repentance for many who at that time fell into a similar sin (for then many rejected Christ out of fear of torment). We glorify the ineffable mercy of God always and forever. Amen. Caius ruled the Roman Church from 283 to 296. Vesta or Hestia was considered by the ancient Romans and Greeks to be the patron goddess of the family hearth and sacrificial fire. A sacrifice was usually made to her before the beginning of any important undertaking, which is why the pagans had a saying: “start with Vesta.” In Rome, in honor of the goddess Vesta, a church was built in a grove on the slope of the Palatine Hill. This church housed an altar on which a fire was constantly burning, maintained by the priestesses of the goddess - the Vestal Virgins. The main holiday in honor of the goddess Vesta took place in Rome in June. – Isis is the goddess of fertility. Isis was actually an ancient Egyptian goddess, but in the first centuries A.D. her cult penetrated into Greece and Italy, where numerous churches were built in her honor. Campania is a region in ancient Italy, bounded in the west by Latium, in the north by Samnium, in the east by Lucania, and in the south by the Tyrrhenian Sea. In this Italian region, bells began to be cast for the first time (from the 8th century), which is why they are called campanians in the church charter. This council took place around 300. The death of Saint Pope Marcellinus followed around 300. You might be interested in: