Roman Opposition
Rome, however, did not care about the productivity of Christians. They felt that the upstart religion threatened the citizens’ allegiance to Rome, and so Emperor Severus, like many before him, attempted once again to stamp it out. Rather than persecuting and making an example out of the Christians, Severus simply issued a new edict forbidding, by Roman law, anyone to become a new convert to Christianity.
Early Church Discipleship
In the early church, new disciples were required to become catechumens first – if they wanted to become Christians, they had to be instructed in the Scriptures and faith in Jesus before they could be baptised by water and added to the church. Now, under the new Roman law, anyone who was baptised as a Christian would be arrested and executed.
That is where our story of the brave young women, Perpetua and Felicity, begins.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Date: 2nd March 2024
Martyr: Vibia Perpetua & Felicity
Location: Carthage (modern-day Tunisia), North Africa
Source: God’s Generals – The Martyrs
Author: Roberts Liardon
Suffering Saturday 080
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