Irenaeus of Sirmium
Irenaeus of Sirmium (Eng. " the Peaceable ", " the Peaceful "; † 304 in Sirmium ) was a Christian bishop in the city of Sirmium, which lay in the province of Pannonia. Sirmium located in present-day Serbia, near the town of Sremska Mitrovica. Irenaeus is the first known bishop of that city, and died 304 martyred as a result of Diocletian's persecution of Christians.
Historical Context
Sirmium was the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia. At the time of Irenaeus ' death was Probus prefect of Pannonia. The Roman Empire was in the Diocletian's Tetrarchy, which provided for a reign of two Augusti ( Diocletian and Maximian ) and two Caesars ( Constantius and Galerius ). In the course of Diocletian idea to resurrect the old Roman state religion again and encouragement of Galerius, there was a systematic persecution of Christians. Diocletian issued four edicts against the Christians, 303-304. The last edict provided for a general victim forced for the entire Roman population. However, this was not enforced in all areas of the Roman Empire in the same way. The pursuit ended only in 311, six years after the abdication of Diocletian, under Galerius with the abolition of the edicts. Mistakenly, this decision is known as the " Edict of Toleration ".
Life and death
Very little is known about the life of Irenaeus. It is believed that he had a wife and several children. 304 AD in the wake of Diocletian's persecution of Christians, he was interrogated by the Prefect Probus and sentenced for refusing to sacrifice to the emperor, to death by beheading. The beheading is said to have taken place on the Pons Basentis under one of the Acts of the Martyrs " The Martyrdom of Saint Irenaeus Bishop of Sirmium ". After decapitation, the body had been thrown into the Sava.
In the above- mentioned martyrs Act speaks of a dialogue between Irenaeus and Probus. This Irenaeus is asked whether he has no children and no woman had what Irenaeus says no and explains with Matthew 10:37, who loves his family more than Jesus Christ, was its not worth it. He underlined his readiness for the upcoming ordeal.
Anniversaries
- Roman Catholic: April 6,
- Orthodox: 26 March and 23 August
- Armenian: August 23 ( liturgical celebration on the second Thursday after the Exaltation of the Cross Sunday)