Saint Martin 1 - Pope and Martyr
This week’s Saint of the Week is Saint Pope Martin I, born in Italy in the year 598. He was elected Pope when the Monothelitism heresy was raging in the Church. Those who subscribed to it denied the belief that Jesus had two wills, one divine and the other human. Pope Martin convened the Lateran Council of 649, condemning the heresy, ignoring an edict by Byzantine Emperor Constans II that forbid discussion of the matter. The Emperor responded by sending an assassin to murder the Pope in Rome. When that failed, he had Pope Martin kidnapped, arrested, publicly humiliated, tortured and sentenced to death. Constans had a change of heart and instead decided to exile the Pope to the barren and harsh Crimean Peninsula, where he died on September 16, 655 from a combination of exposure to the elements, and the harsh treatment endured during his imprisonment prior to exile. Saint Martin I is the last Pope recognized as a martyr.
Feast Day: April 13
Pope St. Martin I, through your intercession before the Father in Heaven, fortify all teachers and leaders of the Church to remain steadfast in the truth, to advocate for the truth, and to suffer for the truth, no matter the personal cost. Amen
Saint Pope Martin 1, pray for us!
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