On this day, June 7 according to the Julian Calendar (June 20 civil calendar), the Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates the Hieromartyr Marcellinus, Pope of Rome, and the Martyrs Claudius, Cyrinus, and Antoninus.
During the reign of the emperors Diocletian and Maximian (284–305), Saint Marcellinus served as Bishop of Rome. The God-hating emperors cruelly persecuted Christians: within the space of one month, nearly 17,000 people were martyred. Pope Marcellinus was also seized. Overcome by fear of torment, he burned incense and offered sacrifice to idols. After this, the emperor received him as a friend and clothed him in costly garments. Yet Marcellinus was tormented by his conscience — in word he called his flock to endure sufferings for Christ, while in deed he had shown an example of cowardice.
At this time, a council composed of 180 bishops and priests was being held in the city of Sinuessa in Campania. Pope Marcellinus appeared at the council session clothed in sackcloth and with ashes upon his head, and begged that judgment be rendered upon him. The fathers of the council said to him: “Judge yourself. The words from your lips defiled you, and words from those same lips shall purify you. Even the Apostle Peter, through fear, denied Christ, but washed clean by tears of repentance, he was again pleasing to the Lord.”
Marcellinus then pronounced this sentence upon himself: “Let me, unworthy one, be cut off from priestly grace; after my death let my body not be buried but thrown to the dogs to be torn apart. Cursed be anyone who wishes to bury it!”
Upon returning to Rome, Marcellinus appeared before the emperor, threw at his feet the garments he had received as gifts, and declared that he bitterly repented of his apostasy from Christ. The enraged emperor ordered the saint to be cruelly tortured and then executed. Weakened by his torments, the bishop offered fervent prayers to the Lord who receives penitents, then humbly bowed his neck to the sword. Together with him, Claudius, Cyrinus, and Antoninus were martyred in 304 AD.
The body of Saint Marcellinus lay unburied for thirty-six days. The newly-elected Pope Marcellus received an appearance from the holy Apostle Peter, who asked: “Why do you not bury Marcellinus?” “I fear his curse!” answered Saint Marcellus. The Apostle Peter commanded the new Pope to bury the saint with honor. Pope Marcellus reverently buried the holy relics of Marcellinus in the tomb prepared by the nobly-born Roman woman Priscilla for the burial of the holy martyrs, near the Via Salaria.
May the intercessions of the Hieromartyr Marcellinus, Pope of Rome, be with us all.