When did the first persecution of Christians started and Who were the most victims: Catholic Christians or Protestants?

1. The very first persecution

The earliest persecution of Christians began in the 30s AD, right after the death and resurrection of Jesus. This happened:

In Jerusalem, led by certain Jewish religious authorities.
Victims: The first Christian martyrs were Catholic/early Christians (there were no Protestants yet — Protestantism only began in the 1500s).

Examples:

St. Stephen – the very first Christian martyr (Acts 7).
Apostle James the Greater – executed by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1–2).

This was before the term “Catholic” became commonly used, but these early Christians are historically the same continuous community that became the Catholic Church.

2. The first major government-sponsored persecution

The first Roman imperial persecution started in AD 64 under Emperor Nero.

Why?

Rome burned, and Nero blamed the Christians.

Victims

Again, only Christians who belonged to the early Catholic Church, including:
- Peter – crucified in Rome
- Paul – beheaded in Rome
- Thousands of unnamed early Christians

There were no Protestant Christians for another 1,450 years.

3. So who were the most victims: Catholic Christians or Protestants?

🔹 Before the 1500s (for 1,500 years):

All martyrs were Catholic Christians (or early Christians within the same historical Church).

🔹 After the Protestant Reformation (1500s onward):

There were:

Catholic martyrs under Protestant rulers
Protestant martyrs under Catholic rulers
Catholics and Protestants both persecuted under non-Christian governments (e.g., Communist regimes)

But historically, the overwhelming majority of Christian martyrs across 2,000 years have been Catholics, simply because:

The Catholic Church existed the longest (2,000 years)
Most early persecutions lasted centuries before Protestantism existed

Clear Summary

Time Period	Who Was Persecuted?	Why?
30s AD – 300 AD	Early/Catholic Christians	Jewish authorities and Roman Empire persecutions
300–1500 AD	Catholic Christians	Pagan Romans, invading tribes, Islamic conquests, secular rulers
After 1500 AD	Both Catholics and Protestants	Religious conflicts, political control
20th century	Mostly Catholics + other Christians	Communist regimes (Soviet, China, etc.)

Historical Fact:

👉 The first persecutions and the greatest number of early martyrs were Catholic Christians, because Protestantism did not exist until 1517.

1. List of Roman Emperors Who Persecuted Christians (1st–4th Century)

(Only the major ones — these are the persecutions that produced the most Catholic/early Christian martyrs.)

1. Nero (AD 54–68)

First state-sponsored persecution (AD 64).
Blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome.
Victims: St. Peter, St. Paul, and many early Christians burned, crucified, or thrown to animals.

2. Domitian (AD 81–96)

Targeted Christians who refused to worship him.
Victims: Some members of Roman nobility; St. John was exiled to Patmos under him.

3. Trajan (AD 98–117)

Christians were executed if accused and refused to deny Christ.
Victims: St. Ignatius of Antioch (thrown to lions).

4. Hadrian (AD 117–138)

Continued Trajan's policy.
Victims: Various local martyrdoms.

5. Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–180)

Philosopher-king who allowed harsh crackdowns.
Victims: St. Polycarp, Martyrs of Lyon (including St. Blandina).

6. Septimius Severus (AD 193–211)

Banned conversions to Christianity.
Victims: St. Perpetua and St. Felicity.

7. Decius (AD 249–251)

First empire-wide, organized persecution.
Required all citizens to worship Roman gods.
Victims: Pope St. Fabian, many bishops.

8. Valerian (AD 253–260)

Targeted clergy specifically.
Victims: Pope St. Sixtus II, St. Lawrence.

9. Diocletian (AD 284–305)

Worst persecution in history (“Great Persecution”).
Churches destroyed, scriptures burned.
Victims: thousands of Catholic/early Christian martyrs.

2. Statistics: Which Christians Were the Greatest Victims?

A. Before the Reformation (AD 30–1500)

Only one Christian Church existed—the early Catholic/Universal Church.
Thus, 100% of martyrs for 1500 years were Catholic/early Church Christians.

B. After the Reformation (1500–1600s)

Persecution happened on both sides, depending on the country:

Catholics persecuted Protestants (e.g., England under Mary I? Actually reverse; Mary I persecuted Protestants).
Protestants persecuted Catholics
- England (Elizabeth I): ~300 Catholics executed
- Ireland: Catholics oppressed for centuries
Catholic vs. Protestant religious wars
- e.g., Thirty Years’ War (mixed motives: political + religious)

C. After 1700s up to Modern Times

The largest persecutions of Christians were done by non-Christian regimes:

Communist USSR: ~12–20 million Christians killed
Communist China: millions persecuted
Mexico (1920s): Catholic persecution (Cristero War)
Spanish Civil War: ~6,800 Catholic clergy executed
ISIS and Islamic extremism: thousands murdered

Who were the most victims overall?

👉 Over 2,000 years, the majority of martyrdoms were Catholics simply because:

Protestantism only existed for the last 500 years
The early persecutions (1st–4th centuries) were massive
20th century communist regimes targeted Catholic clergy heavily

3. Historical Evidence that the Early Church Is the Catholic Church

A. Use of the term “Catholic” in the first centuries

The word Catholic (meaning “universal”) appears very early:

St. Ignatius of Antioch (AD 107)
“Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”

This was written while the Apostles’ disciples were still alive.
There was no other church—no Orthodox yet, no Protestant.

B. The Church structure (bishop → priests → deacons)

The same structure found in the Catholic Church today existed by the late 1st century:

Bishop = episkopos
Priests = presbyteroi
Deacons = diakonoi

This is evident in:

Acts 14:23
Philippians 1:1
1 Timothy 3

This structure continued unbroken to the present Catholic Church.

C. The same sacraments

Early Church writings show:

Eucharist as the literal Body and Blood (St. Justin Martyr, AD 150)
Baptismal regeneration
Bishops with apostolic succession

These are Catholic teachings — not Protestant ones.

D. The same belief in apostolic authority

Pope St. Clement (AD 96) wrote to Corinth exercising authority, even though the Apostle John was still alive.

This shows the early papacy functioning long before any other Christian group existed.

SUMMARY OF THE 3 ITEMS

1. Roman emperors who persecuted Christians:

Nero → Domitian → Trajan → Hadrian → Marcus Aurelius → Severus → Decius → Valerian → Diocletian.

2. Victims:

Over 90% of all Christian martyrs in history were Catholics/early Christians, not Protestants.

3. Early Church = historical Catholic Church:

This is supported by early writings, theology, church structure, and apostolic succession.

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Friday, November 28, 2025

When did the first persecution of Christians start? Who were the most victims: Catholic Christians or Protestants?