In North Africa during the reign of Diocletian, at Abitina, a group of 49 Christians were convicted of celebrating Mass.
The local bishop had caved in to Diocletian’s anti-Christian edicts, but some Christians went ahead and worshiped on Sunday with their priest Saturninus. They were arrested, tortured – including the children – and tried in Carthage. They were sentenced to death.
One of the martyrs, in whose house they were meeting – Emeritus, by name, when challenged about why they violated the Emperor’s edicts, responded “Sine dominico non possumus … We are not able [to live] without the ‘lordly thing'”, meaning without the Eucharist and Its celebration. In Latin we use adjectives a little differently than in English. In English we spin out, for example, Dies dominica, the ‘lord-ly day’ or the day having a characteristic pertaining to the Lord, as the Lord’s Day (Sunday). The Lord’s Prayer is called the Oratio dominica. Etc.
That was then, with Diocletian.
This is now, with the Religion of Peace.
From FNC:
Iran gives Christians 80 lashes for communion wine as UN blasts human rights record
Four Iranian Christians were reportedly sentenced to 80 lashes for drinking wine for communion, a shocking punishment meted out even as a new United Nations report blasted the Islamic republic for its systematic persecution of non-Muslims.
The four men were sentenced Oct. 6 after being arrested in a house church last December and charged with consuming alcohol in violation of the theocracy’s strict laws, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide. They were among several Christians punished for their faith in a nation where converting from Islam to Christianity can bring the death penalty. According to a new October UN report by Ahmed Shaheed, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, such persecution is common, despite new President Hasan Rouhani’s pledge to be a moderate.
[…]
The four Christian Iranians sentenced to 80 lashes for violating Iran’s anti-alcohol law have ten days to appeal their verdict.
“The sentences handed down to these members of the Church of Iran effectively criminalize the Christian sacrament of sharing in the Lord’s Supper and constitute an unacceptable infringement on the right to practice faith freely and peaceably,” Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said.
Sts. Nunilo and Alodia, pray for us.
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This is so horrible. Prayers for these poor men.
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The press reports a sentence of “80 lashes,” but I’m afraid that’s not the whole truth. Most people in the West don’t necessarily understand that this is in fact a DEATH sentence… flogging to death. If the blood loss doesn’t get you, the shock will.
May God have mercy on us all.
But Father! but Father! The Qur’an clearly says, “Let there be no compulsion in religion.” (2:256) I’ve often wondered how they get around this…
According to the Dog Bites Man Principle, I believe the real news story here is that the UN actually complained about an Islamic nation acting like an Islamic nation?
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