The First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

The First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church were Christians who were martyred in the city of Rome during Nero's persecution in 64 AD¹. This event is recorded by both Tacitus and Pope Clement I, among others.

In July of 64 AD, Rome was devastated by a fire. Rumor blamed the tragedy on Emperor Nero, who wanted to enlarge his palace. He shifted the blame by accusing the Christians¹². According to the historian Tacitus, many Christians were put to death because of their "hatred of the human race." Peter and Paul were probably among the victims¹².

These martyrs are celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church as an optional memorial on 30 June¹. The Orthodox Church also celebrates them on 30 June in its liturgical calendar¹.

This feast first came into the General Roman Calendar in the 1969 calendar reforms. The intention of the feast is to give a general celebration of early Roman martyrs¹. This feast is a replacement for the many Roman martyr feasts, whose absence allowed for a less cluttered and more "dies natale" based sanctoral calendar of more major saints¹.

Their sacrifice is a testament to their faith and is remembered as a significant event in the history of the Christian Church¹²³⁴.

(1) First Martyrs of the Church of Rome - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Martyrs_of_the_Church_of_Rome.

(2) First Martyrs of the Church of Rome | Franciscan Media. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/first-martyrs-of-the-church-of-rome/.

(3) First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church - Catholic Apostolate Center ....

https://www.catholicapostolatecenterfeastdays.org/feast-days-and-solemnities/first-martyrs-of-the-holy-roman-church.

(4) Honoring the First Christian Martyrs of the Church at Rome. https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/first-christian-martyrs-church-rome-2-6084.