Persecution of Christians
Many Christians have suffered persecution by public authorities, by non-Christian groups or by other Christians of various beliefs during the history of Christianity.
Such persecutions have or had various degrees of intensity, from arrest without guarantees, the reduction of public rights, imprisonment, whipping and torture, to execution, called martyrdom, through the payment of a supplementary tax — as in the case of the Mozarabs—, the confiscation of their assets or even the destruction of their properties, their art, their books and their symbols or the incitement to abjure their principles and betray other Christians.
Persecution of Christians by Jews
Background
In the New Testament we read that the first Christians, beginning with Jesus himself, suffered persecution at the hands of the Jewish leaders of that time. It also recounts the beginning of persecutions by the Romans. The term "Christians" is often used in an indiscriminate way that has been the cause of controversy.
According to the New Testament, the persecution of early Christians continued after the death of Jesus. Peter and John were imprisoned by the Jewish chiefs, including the high priest Ananias, who nevertheless later released them (Acts 4:1-21). At another time, all the apostles were imprisoned by the high priest and other Sadducees, but were released by an angel (Acts 5:17-19). The apostles, having escaped, were again brought before the Sanhedrin, but this time Gamaliel, a Pharisee rabbi well known from rabbinical literature, convinced the Sanhedrin to release them (Acts 5:27-40).
The most probable reason for the persecution was, on the part of the Jews, the evident heresy that Christian doctrine represented from the point of view of traditional Jewish doctrine, since among other things, the idea of a God-Man it collided head-on with their entrenched monotheism (this is clearly perceived in the biblical account of the events of the first Christians). It is also deducible that to Roman ears, the preaching of Christians about the imminent return of the king of the Jews and the establishment of his kingdom, was seditious. The Romans gave the Jews limited self-rule at that time; the main duties of the Jewish leaders were to collect taxes for Rome and to maintain civil order. Thus, the Jewish leaders would have to suppress any seditious theses, such as those defended by the Christians. This Jewish opposition was a powerful engine to plant in Rome the seeds of hatred of the incipient Christianity.
Death of Stephen
The New Testament recounts the stoning of Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60) by members of the Sanhedrin. Stephen is remembered in Christianity as the first martyr (from the Greek: mártÿros, 'witness').
Saul of Tarsus (Paul)
The execution of Stephen was followed by a great persecution of Christians (Acts 8:1-3), led by a Pharisee named Saul Paul of Tarsus, sending many Christians to prison. According to the New Testament, this persecution continued until Saul converted to Christianity (and changed his name to Paul), after saying that he had seen a bright light and heard the voice of Jesus on the road to Damascus., where he was traveling to imprison more Christians (Acts 9:1-22). While in Syria, the Jews of a synagogue, headed by a certain Sosthenes, brought Paul before the Roman Gallio, with the intention that he would punish him. Gallio, seeing that it was a religious matter, expelled them all from the court, and the mobs beat Sosthenes without the Roman intervening. (Acts 18, 12-17) Acts 9:23-25 says that "the Jews" in Damascus then tried to kill Paul. They were waiting for him at the gates of the town, but he evaded them by being lowered over the city wall in a basket by other Christians and then fled to Jerusalem. Understandably, he had difficulty at first convincing the Jerusalem Christians that he, his former persecutor, had converted and was now being persecuted in turn (Acts 9:26-27). Another attempt was made on his life, this time by "the Grecians" (KJV), referring to a group of Hellenistic Jews (Acts 9:29), whom he debated while in and around Jerusalem.
Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire
Background
At first, the Romans regarded Christianity as a new Jewish sect. Apart from the sporadic persecutions of Nero and Domitian, during the first century Christians had to deal more frequently with the animosity of the scribes and Pharisees, rectors of Judaism, than with the Roman authorities.
On the basis of various testimonies it is stated that during the second half of the 1st century, the entire 2nd century and up to the 4th century, Christians were also persecuted by authorities of the Roman Empire, who considered Christians either as seditious Jews (remembering that in the year 70 the Jews staged a revolt in Judea that caused the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of the Jews from its territory at the hands of the Romans), or as political rebels. The historian Suetonius mentions the expulsion of the Jews due to the riots that took place in Rome in the time of Emperor Claudius "by a certain Chrestus", who can be identified with Christ, whose doctrines must have been spread by emigrants or Jewish slaves in Rome. Likewise, Tacitus in his Annals speaks of the persecution of Christians ("the name they take from a certain Christ"), by Nero. As for Suetonius, he mentions in his "Lives of the Twelve Caesars" that, during the reign of Nero, "the Christians were persecuted under pain of death, a sect of men of a new superstition and maleficent".
Tertullian, in his Apology against the Gentiles, written in the year 200, explains the crimes that fame imputed to Christians:
That in the evening congregation we sacrifice and eat a child. That in the blood of the slain child wet the bread and soaked in the blood we eat one piece each. That some dogs that are tied to the candlesticks would tear them down to reach the bread that we throw them bathed in the child's blood. That in the darkness that causes the struggle of the dogs, peanuts of the clumsiness, we impiously mix with the sisters or mothers. Of these crimes we are repulsed by the popular clamorous voice, and although it has been time for fame to impute them, until today the Senate has not tried to find out.Tertullian, Apologyc.7
The Gentiles assimilated the nocturnal meetings of the Christians to Eastern rites of the «mysteries», such as those of Eleusis and Samos, rooted in magical practices, the mysteries of Cybele, those of Isis, originating in Egypt, or those of Mithras, from Persia, which reached considerable diffusion even in Spain and especially on the Catalan coast.
In this context, it must be remembered that it became a custom among various Roman emperors to erect their own statues in the various cities of the empire, and to proclaim themselves gods or sons of gods (under the title of lord of lords) to whom their subjects were to respect. An exemplary sign of this was the obligation to worship or at least kneel before the statues of the emperors in the cities where they were found.
The Christians, taking as a principle that Jesus is the only Lord of lords, and the only son of the true God, refused to take such attitudes. The Romans, rather than judge their beliefs, would see in these gestures the attitudes of a political rebellion against the empire, which led to several persecutions against Christians at that time. The potentially subversive ideological components of Christian doctrines and customs must have been seen as a threat to the status quo of the Roman social order and a threat, above all, to the privileged classes of that order.
Such is the case of the belief in the divine filiation of all humanity ("We are all children of God"), which implied universal brotherhood ("we are all brothers") and human dignity ("whatever you do to him to the smallest of them it is as if you did it to me"), a plea in favor of equality that collided head-on with a slave society. Also the allegation against the wealth and the communist practices of the first Christians (who made all their goods available to the "community" when they became part of it) must have been threatening to the powerful and privileged of the empire. Christianity was initially a religion aimed at the humble, those who suffer injustice, the poor and the slaves, the most numerous social groups in an empire in crisis, and among which it spread very quickly despite the efforts of the authorities to avoid it.
There were ten great Roman persecutions against Christianity, generally named after the emperors who decreed them: those of Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Maximian, Decius, Valerian, Aurelian, and Diocletian.
Since Christianity was considered illegal in the empire, Christians had to go into hiding. Their meetings would then be secret and the catacombs of the city of Rome are famous, where it is said that Christians met, although according to surviving Christian testimonies, the catacombs were not the most used means of hiding, since most of cult meetings, would be done secretly in the same houses of the faithful. To identify themselves, they would have used symbols that were not obvious to Roman eyes, such as the symbol of the Fish (Ichthys, or ΙΧΘΥΣ in Greek), an acronym that meant for them Iēsoûs CHristós THeoû hYiós Sōtér, 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour'.
The persecution of Nero, 64-68
One of the best known and most implacable and perhaps the earliest is that originated by the emperor Nero, around whom the legend of his authorship of the fire that destroyed various neighborhoods of the city of Rome originated. The historian Cornelius Tacitus wrote at the beginning of the II century that given the popular rumor that the fire had originated by higher order, He found in the Christians the scapegoats that in principle satisfied the wrath of the people. They were cruelly repressed, according to the Annals of Tacitus. Suetonius, another prominent writer of the early II century, corroborates the account, noting that Nero's public works included "pursuing to Christians." This would be one of the reasons that would have led Christians like Peter or Paul to their death in Rome, about which Christian writers from the first centuries like Clement I speak.
Domitian's Persecution, 81-96
Another emperor who is remembered for his cruelty to Christians was Domitian, between the years 81 and 96. Among the many Christians martyred during this persecution were Simeon, Bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified. Flavia, daughter of a Roman senator, was likewise banished to Pontus; and a law was enacted saying: "That no Christian, once brought before a court, shall be exempt from punishment without renouncing his religion."
Trajan's Persecution, 109-111
Between 109 and 111 AD. C., Pliny the Younger was sent by Emperor Trajan (98-117) to the province of Bithynia as governor. During his tenure, Pliny meets the Christians, and writes to the emperor about them. The governor indicated that he had ordered the execution of several Christians. However, he was not sure what to make of those who said they were no longer Christians, and he asked Trajan for advice. The emperor responded that Christians should not be sought and that anonymous accusations should be rejected as showing "unworthy of our age," and if they recant and "worship our gods," they should be released. Those who persist, however, must be punished.
The Persecution of Marcus Aurelius, 161-180
Part of the trouble Christians had during this time was largely caused by the mobs, who plundered the Christian communities of Asia Minor founded by the Apostle Paul. However, Marcus Aurelius's condemnation of Christianity had repercussions as well known as Justin's death sentence, which occurred during this time. The Persecution of Lyons, which was preceded by mob violence including assaults, robberies and stoning (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 5.1.7), led to the annihilation of the city's flourishing Christianity (said for atheism and immorality). Other known Christians were tortured and martyred at this time, such as Pothinus or Blandina.
The Persecution of Septimius Severus, 202-210
Another emperor under whom Christians suffered was Septimius Severus, who ruled from 193-211. During his reign, Clement of Alexandria wrote: "Many martyrs are burned daily, confined or beheaded, before our eyes."
Severus Septimius used the persecution as a pretext to attribute the plague and famine that devastated the empire to the Christians; In this especially violent persecution, Santa Cecilia and her husband Valeriano suffered martyrdom and the famous episode of the Withering Legion took place.
The Emperor Severus may not have been personally against Christians, but the church was gaining power and the mass adherence of the faithful led to popular anti-Christian sentiment and persecution in Carthage, Alexandria, Rome and Corinth between about 202 and 210.
In the year 202 Septimius promulgated a law that prohibited the spread of Christianity and Judaism. This was the first universal decree prohibiting conversion to Christianity. Violent persecutions broke out in Egypt and North Africa. Leonidas, defender of Christianity, was beheaded; his son Origen was forgiven because his mother hid his clothes. A young girl was cruelly tortured and then burned in a hot pitch cauldron with her mother. Perpetua and Felicity were martyred during this time, as were many of Origen's students of Alexandria.
The persecution of Maximinus, 235
Maximino the Thracian began a persecution directed mainly against the heads of the Church in the year 235. One of his first victims was Ponciano, who with Hipólito was exiled to the island of Sardinia.
The Persecution of Decius, 249-251
Decio's persecution drove numerous hermits into the woods; Among his martyrs are Pope San Fabian and Santa Águeda; the famous Origen suffered such torments that he later died as a result of them. The persecution of Christians spread throughout the Empire during the reign of Decius and left a lasting mark on the Christian church.
In January 250, Decius issued an edict requiring all citizens to make a sacrifice for the emperor's glory in the presence of a Roman officer and thus obtain a certificate (Libellus) proving that they had done so.. In general, public opinion condemned the government's violence and admired the passive resistance of the martyrs, which strengthened the Christian movement. Decius' persecution ceased in 251, a few months before his death.
Decius' persecution had lasting repercussions for the church: How should those who had purchased a certificate or actually made the sacrifice be treated? It seems that in most churches, apostates were accepted back into the church, but some groups were denied entrance into the church. This raises important questions about the nature of the Church, forgiveness, and the high value of martyrdom. A century and a half later, Saint Augustine fell out with an influential group called the Donatists, who broke away from the Catholic Church because it embraced those who had chickened out.
Gregory of Tours glosses the persecutions in his History of the Franks:
Under Emperor Decius many persecutions rose against the name of Christ, and there was such a massacre of believers who could not be counted. Babillas, bishop of Antioch, with his three little sons, Urban, Prilidan and Epolon, and Sixtus, bishop of Rome, Lorenzo, an archdeacon, and Hippolytus, is perfected by martyrdom, for he confessed the name of the Lord. Valentiniano and Novatian were the most active heretic leaders against our faith, encouraging the enemy. At this time, seven men were ordained as bishops and sent to the gallows to preach, as the story of the martyrdom of the holy martyr Saturnin refers. For he says, "In the consulate of Decio and Grato, as the faithful memory, remember, the city of Toulouse, received the holy Saturnine as his first and greatest bishop." These bishops were sent: Catianus bishop of Tours, Trophim bishop of Arles, Paul bishop of Narbona, Saturnino bishop of Tolosa, Dionysius bishop of Paris; Stremonius bishop of Clermont, Martial bishop of Limoges.
The writings of Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, shed light on the consequences of Decian's persecution on the Carthaginian Christian community.
The Persecution of Valerian, 256-259
Under the reign of Valerian, who ascended the throne in 253, all Christian clerics were forced to sacrifice to the Roman gods. In an edict of 257, the punishment was exile, in 258, the punishment was death. Christian senators, knights, and ladies were also forced to sacrifice, on pain of heavy fines, demotion, and later death. Finally, all Christians were prohibited from visiting their cemeteries. Among those executed by Valerian are: Saint Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, and Sixtus II, Bishop of Rome. According to a letter written by Dionysus during this time, "men and women, young and old, maidens and matrons, soldiers and civilians, of every age and race, some by scourging and fire, others by the sword, have conquered in the fight and won their crowns. The persecution ended with the capture of Valerian by Persia. His son and successor to him, Gallienus, revoked the edicts of his father.
A warrant to arrest a Christian, dated February 28, 256, was found among the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (P. Oxy 3035). The document does not detail the reasons for the arrest.
The Diocletian Persecution, The Great Persecution, 303-313
Diocletian's persecution was the most serious, since he wanted to reform the empire in all aspects and a very essential part of his policy was to reinforce the imperial cult. He was instigated to it by the Caesars Maximian and Galerius; even entire Christian cities were razed. This persecution was so long that it was called the Era of the martyrs, and among the most famous are several popes, Saint Sebastian, Saint Pancracio and Saint Agnes.
Julian's Persecution (361-363)
Julian the Apostate was the last pagan emperor of the Roman Empire. He grew up at a time when paganism was on the decline, in Rome. Upon being proclaimed Augustus in 361, Julian immediately declared his faith in the ancient Roman gods and sought to spark a pagan revival. However, he was assassinated in Persia in 363, and his attempt to restore paganism ultimately failed.
Juliano used many methods to subtly break the Church. He reminded bishops that they had been banished for heretical teachings, the clergy were stripped of their right to travel at the expense of the state (as they had done before), and he forbade Christians from teaching such classical works as the Iliad i> or the Odyssey. Julian was succeeded by the Christian emperor Jovian.The Persecution of Constantine, mid 2nd century century II, mobs were predisposed to throw stones at Christians. The Lyon Persecution was preceded by mob violence, including assaults, robberies and stoning In addition, there was persecution in a disjointed way up to the III century, although Tertullian's Apologetics of 197 was written ostensibly in defense of Christians. persecuted and addressed to the Roman governors. The edict of Septimius Severus, familiar in the history of Christianity, is questioned by some secular historians because it is known outside of Christian martyrdom. According to the documentation of the Empire, the first great persecution took place under Maximinus the Thracian, although it only affected the clergy. It was not until Decius in the middle of the century, that a persecution of lay Christians throughout the Empire took place. Christian sources assert that a decree was issued that required public sacrifices, a procedure equivalent to a testimony of fidelity to the emperor and to the established order. Decius authorized several traveling commissions to visit the cities and villages and supervise the execution of the sacrifices and to deliver written certificates to all citizens who performed them. Christians often had the opportunity to avoid punishment by making public sacrifices or burning incense in honor of the Roman gods, but if they refused they were accused by the Romans of impiety. Refusal was punishable by arrest, imprisonment, torture, and execution. The Christians fled to refuges in the countryside, and some bought their sacrificial certificates, called libelli. Several municipalities close to Cartago debated the question of to what extent the community should accept these lapsed Christians.
Persecutions of Christians in the 15th to 17th centuries
Japan
Martyrs of Japan. In 1587 the first edict of persecution against Christians was issued. In 1597, 26 Christians were executed. Another 70 in 1614. In 1622, the Great Martyrdom of Nagasaki took place. It is estimated at 5,500 Catholics sacrificed in the 17th century.
Persecutions of Christians in the 18th and 19th centuries
France
During the de-Christianization of France during the Revolution of that country, the first persecutions of Christians occurred in modern times, hundreds of priests and religious who were murdered in that period of history were considered martyrs, as in the so-called September Massacres and the 191 Martyrs of Paris in the French Revolution (1792). The first modern genocide is considered to have occurred in La Vendée, western France, when in 1793 the anti-clerical Jacobins of the Revolution killed thousands of Catholic peasants regarded as counter-revolutionaries. In 1794, during the period known as "The Terror », 16 nuns were guillotined in Compiègne for refusing to renounce their monastic vows (years later this event inspired the work Dialogues of Carmelites).
Korea
Korean martyrs were counted by the thousands as victims of religious persecution against the Catholic Church during the 19th century in Korea Al At least 8,000 believers were killed during this persecution, 103 of whom were canonized in 1984.
Vietnam
The Vietnamese Martyrs are counted among one of the largest persecutions against Christians in modern history throughout the period from 1625 to 1886. An estimated 130,000 Christians were killed in those years.
Uganda
The Uganda Martyrs are a group of Christian martyrs (23 Anglican and 22 Catholic) from the historic kingdom of Buganda, now part of Uganda, who were executed between January 31, 1885 and January 27, 1887.
Persecutions of the 20th and 21st centuries
According to Antonio Socci, in the XX century, some 45.5 million Christians were murdered for their religious beliefs, approximately 65% of all Christians killed for their faith in two millennia. If the term "martyr" is considered in the strict sense, that is, one who voluntarily assumes death as a direct consequence of their faith and their evangelical witness, the figure is estimated at approximately 12,000 people.
Mexico
The persecution of Christianity in Mexico has been presented at various times. In Mexico, the Catholic religion was prohibited between 1926 and 1929. Armed Christians confronted the Mexican army, unleashing a Cristero War. Estimates on slaughtered, round in the figure of 250,000. Between 1932 and 193 there was a second Cristero war. The Catholic Church, recognizing fidelity, beatified 39 people. Hundreds more were assassinated between 1935 and 1939.
Ukraine
The 27 Ukrainian Martyrs are a group of victims of the religious persecution carried out by the Soviet Union against Ukraine, against the Catholic Church and, in particular, against the Greek-Catholic community ruthena.
Iraq
Between 2003 and 2009, as reported by AsiaNews in December 2009, around 2,000 Christians were killed in Iraq. Due to the instability and attacks directed against Christians, many of them have fled to other territories: Of the nearly 800,000 Christians there were in 2003, it is estimated that there are 450,000 left in 2010.
Indian
As far as India is concerned, between 2008 and 2010 there were more than 1,000 anti-Christian episodes in the state of Karnataka, as reported in March 2010. In the state of Orissa, between 2008 and 2010, more than 5,000 Christians suffered persecution and pressure to convert to the Hindu religion.
World
According to statements by Mario Mauro in August 2010, who was then acting as OSCE representative against discrimination against Christians, of the 100 people who die each year from religious persecution, 75 would be Christians. That same month of August In 2010, Monsignor Mario Toso, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, declared that Christians were the most persecuted religious group in the world. According to the data for that year, there would be some 200 million Christians in situations of persecution. On the other hand, according to a report also published in 2010 by the Commission of the European Bishops' Conferences, the number of persecuted Christians would be around the figure of 100 million.
Regarding the number of Christians killed annually for their faith, according to a statement made public in June 2011 by Massimo Introvigne, representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for the fight against intolerance and discrimination against Christians, it would be 105,000 deaths a year. The figure was put into discussion in 2013, either because of the modality in which it was obtained, or because of its high number. According to another study, the number of Christians murdered annually during the first decade of the XXI century would be 10,000.
At present, there are examples of intolerance or persecution towards Christians, particularly in African countries, including Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, the Central African Republic, and in Asia, in countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia, regions of the India, Laos, and even in Saudi Arabia, where the opening of Christian temples is prohibited.
World Christian Persecution List 2022
Most Persecuting Countries 2022
| N. | Country | LMP 2022 | LMP 2021 | Violence | Private life | Family life | Community life | National life | Life of the Church | Total Christians | % | Type of persecution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan Afghanistan
| 98 | 90 | 90 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 3 300 | 0.002% | Extrema |
| 2 | North Korea North Korea
| 97 | 92 | 79 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 400 000 | 1.5% | Extrema |
| 3 |  Somalia
| 92 | 89 | 51 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 500 | 0,000 | Extrema |
| 4 | Libya Libya
| 91 | 89 | 69 | 94 | 93 | 96 | 98 | 98 | 34 600 | 0.5% | Extrema |
| 5 | Yemen Yemen
| 89 | 84 | 32 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 3 000 | 0.001% | Extrema |
| 6 | Eritrea Eritrea
| 88 | 84 | 67 | 88 | 90 | 93 | 96 | 94 | 2 611 000 | 47.2% | Extrema |
| 7 | Nigeria Nigeria
| 88 | 83 | 100 | 83 | 83 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 98 006 000 | 46.4 per cent | Extrema |
| 8 | Pakistan Pakistan
| 88 | 85 | 100 | 82 | 84 | 91 | 90 | 79 | 4 080 000 | 1.9% | Extrema |
| 9 | Iran Iran
| 86 | 85 | 63 | 87 | 88 | 82 | 95 | 99 | 800 000 | 1.0% | Extrema |
| 10 |  India
| 83 | 80 | 94 | 77 | 77 | 78 | 89 | 80 | 68 863 000 | 4.9% | Extrema |
| 11 | Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
| 81 | 76 | 19 | 91 | 91 | 90 | 96 | 100 | 1 200 000 | 3.4% | Extrema |
| 12 |  Burma
| 79 | 70 | 89 | 75 | 69 | 83 | 81 | 79 | 409 000 | 8,0% | Very high. |
| 13 |  Sudan
| 79 | 76 | 51 | 81 | 81 | 86 | 82 | 95 | 1 984 000 | 4.4% | Very high. |
| 14 | Iraq Iraq
| 79 | 79 | 42 | 84 | 88 | 84 | 89 | 84 | 166 000 | 0.4% | Very high. |
| 15 | Syria Syria
| 78 | 79 | 56 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 638 000 | 3.3% | Very high. |
| 16 | Maldives Maldives
| 78 | 76 | 3 | 93 | 92 | 83 | 95 | 99 | 800 | 0.002% | Very high. |
| 17 | China China
| 76 | 69 | 67 | 76 | 59 | 74 | 87 | 93 | 96 700 000 | 7.0% | Very high. |
| 18 | Qatar Qatar
| 74 | 68 | 44 | 86 | 85 | 67 | 78 | 86 | 372 000 | 13.1 % | Very high. |
| 19 | Vietnam Vietnam
| 72 | 66 | 53 | 68 | 59 | 77 | 85 | 87 | 9 159 000 | 9.2% | Very high. |
| 20 | Egypt Egypt
| 71 | 76 | 60 | 77 | 80 | 69 | 77 | 65 | 16 250 000 | 16% | Very high. |
| 21 | Uzbekistan Uzbekistan
| 71 | 67 | 11 | 90 | 77 | 85 | 71 | 94 | 347 000 | 1% | Very high. |