Royals who killed Christians
May 29, 2008
NERO is reportedly the first ruler to carry out a widespread, imperially-supervised execution of missionaries. Christians who went to Rome to preach the gospel were hated by the Romans for defying their culture.
Emperor Nero of the Roman Empire (37-68AD)
NERO is reportedly the first ruler to carry out a widespread, imperially-supervised execution of missionaries. Christians who went to Rome to preach the gospel were hated by the Romans for defying their culture.
Many were killed for refusing to worship Roman gods and were accused of starting the Great fire of Rome. Peter, the leader of the 12 apostles, is believed to have been killed in these persecutions.
Emperor Yong Zheng of China (1772)
Zheng banned Catholicism because missionaries developed disagreements with the majority Buddhist and Hindu believers.
Zheng instituted a law that deported missionaries from China, and those who refused were killed. Converts were ordered to denounce the new faith and banned from becoming Catholics again; those who refused to adhere were killed.
Emperor Tokugawa of Japan (1600)
He banned Catholicism and in 1614, ordered the expulsion of European missionaries and the execution of converts. Converts tried to stage a rebellion in 1637, but they were beheaded.
Queen Mary of England
The English monarch, nicknamed Bloody Mary, ordered the killing of the Carthusian martyrs in 1535. They were charged with treason for refusing to take the oath of supremacy which required anyone taking up a church office in England to swear allegiance to the Queen as the head of the Church of England.
They could not take the oath because of their allegiance to the Catholic Church and they were executed by hanging.
Compiled by Joseph Semutooke
NERO is reportedly the first ruler to carry out a widespread, imperially-supervised execution of missionaries. Christians who went to Rome to preach the gospel were hated by the Romans for defying their culture.
Many were killed for refusing to worship Roman gods and were accused of starting the Great fire of Rome. Peter, the leader of the 12 apostles, is believed to have been killed in these persecutions.
Emperor Yong Zheng of China (1772)
Zheng banned Catholicism because missionaries developed disagreements with the majority Buddhist and Hindu believers.
Zheng instituted a law that deported missionaries from China, and those who refused were killed. Converts were ordered to denounce the new faith and banned from becoming Catholics again; those who refused to adhere were killed.
Emperor Tokugawa of Japan (1600)
He banned Catholicism and in 1614, ordered the expulsion of European missionaries and the execution of converts. Converts tried to stage a rebellion in 1637, but they were beheaded.
Queen Mary of England
The English monarch, nicknamed Bloody Mary, ordered the killing of the Carthusian martyrs in 1535. They were charged with treason for refusing to take the oath of supremacy which required anyone taking up a church office in England to swear allegiance to the Queen as the head of the Church of England.
They could not take the oath because of their allegiance to the Catholic Church and they were executed by hanging.
Compiled by Joseph Semutooke