First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

The Feast of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome was established after the Second Vatican Council. This feast commemorates the sacrifices made by early Christians after they were blamed for the burning of Rome, during the reign of Nero. For this many Christians were burned alive as candles or killed in the Colosseum to entertain the emperor. Even after Nero committed suicide, persecution of early Christian still persisted during the early days of the Roman Empire, only ending after the promulgation of the Edict of Milan by Emperor Constantine in 313 AD.