Decian Persecution

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Decian Persecution (250 AD):
The Decian persecution of Christians took place in 250 AD under Roman Emperor Decius, who issued an edict requiring all citizens of the Empire, except Jews, to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods and for the emperor’s well-being. This edict mandated that sacrifices be performed in front of a Roman magistrate, who would provide a signed and witnessed certificate, known as a libellus, as proof of compliance. Roman policy allowed Jews to maintain their religious practices, while Christianity was viewed as a new and potentially subversive movement. Early Roman references to Christianity often labeled it as a superstitious and disruptive belief system. Christians, therefore, were forced to choose between the decree and upholding their faith, which prohibited them from worshipping the Roman gods or burning incense before an image of the Emperor.
The number of people put to death is unknown, but some notable martyrs were put to death for refusing to submit to the decree, including Babylas of Antioch and Alexander of Jerusalem. The Martyrdom of Pionius the Presbyter and His Companions, which dates to around 250-300 A.D., recounts the martyrdom of Pionius, who was a presbyter from Smyrna, along with several other Christians. Pope Fabian was one of the earliest martyrs of the Decían persecution. Fabian was buried in the Catacomb of Callixtus in Rome. The Greek inscription on his tomb has survived, and bears the words: “Fabian, Bishop, Martyr“. Many other Christians went into hiding, especially in Egypt, Africa and Anatolia, including Dionysius of Alexandria and Cyprian of Carthage. There were a large number of Christians, however, who apostatized and performed the sacrifices. This fostered deep divisions within Christian communities, creating tensions between those who remained faithful and those who succumbed to the pressure. The persecution was especially severe at Carthage and Christians who had fallen away were thereafter referred to as “Lapsi” (fallen).
Cyprian and other rigorist Christians of the time would require the lapsi to undergo public penance before being allowed back into the Church. Some of the more lax priests, however, readmitted the lapsed to communion with minimal or no public penance. These lapsi began presenting a second libellus, signed by a martyr or confessor from prison, which lent “credit” from their merits earned in prison to reaffirm the lapsi status as Christians. As a result, hundreds or even thousands of lapsi were readmitted against Cyprian’s wishes.
A schism erupted in Carthage as a result, leading Cyprian to publish his treatise titled “De lapsis” (On the Fallen) and convened a Council of North African bishops in Carthage to address the treatment of the lapsed. Although Cyprian believed some sort of penance should be placed upon those who lapsed, he opposed Novatian of Rome, who denied reconciliation altogether. Although the council ruled in favor of Cyprian, the schism persisted. The rigorist faction in Rome, which rejected reconciliation for any lapsi, elected Novatian as bishop against Pope Cornelius, who agreed with Cyprian of Carthage that those who had lapsed could be restored to communion after performing Penance. By 251, enforcement of the edict had waned, and Decius’s reign ended in June 251, causing the edict to lapse after about eighteen months. However, it left a lasting mark on the Church, as tension between rigorist and laxist groups in the Church would continue. The Church ultimately decreed that it had been given the power by Christ to forgive all sin, even apostasy, but created a more structured penitential system to allow for reinitiation into the Church.