Pope Marcellinus

St. Marcellinus († 304 ), was the Liberian Catalogue According elected on June 30, 296 to the Bishop of Rome. In the Martyrology hieronymianum, the Depositio episcoporum or the Depositio martyrum he is not mentioned.

Marcellinus ' episcopate began under Emperor Diocletian, but this had not yet begun his persecution of Christians. He gave Christianity abundant freedoms, so that the church grew. Caesar Galerius led the pagan movement against the Christians, and Diocletian was finally able to muster 302 against Christianity. First Christian soldiers had left the army, later ecclesiastical property was confiscated and destroyed Christian books. After two fires in his palace, Diocletian resorted to harsher measures: Christians had their faith or fall, they were sentenced to death.

The Liber Pontificalis - based on the deeds of the saints Marcellinus, a now lost text - reported that during Diocletian's persecution Marcellinus was killed as a martyr. Within the Church, this was denied: a dispute broke out later whether Marcellinus not yet renounced the faith to save his life. This dispute lasted until the 6th century.

Marcellinus is the first bishop of Rome, for which the title papa ( pope ) is detectable, though not as a self-designation.

Liber Pontificalis According to the Marcellinus was buried on 26 April 304 in the Catacomb of Priscilla on the Via Salaria, 25 days after his martyrdom. The Liberian Catalogue calls the 25th October. After a long Sedisvakanz followed him Marcellus I., with whom he was sometimes confused because of the similarity in name.