Marcellinus

Marcellinus was born in Rome, the son of Proiectus, and was chosen as bishop of Rome on June 30, 296. His pontificate began in a time of relative calm for Christians, when the Church’s numbers were growing across the empire. Soon, however, Emperor Diocletian—urged on by Galerius—unleashed a fierce persecution: Christian soldiers were expelled, church property was seized, and sacred books were destroyed, followed by harsher demands that believers renounce Christ or face death. Ancient sources differ about Marcellinus’s conduct during these trials. Some later accounts accuse him of a moment of weakness, claiming he offered incense to idols or surrendered holy books, while other voices, including Saint Augustine, rejected these charges. Tradition also holds that he repented, confessed Christ anew, and suffered death for the faith, though the details remain uncertain. Whatever the historical shadows, he is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church, and is honored as patron of Envie. His feast day is celebrated on April 26.