Saint Martin I, Pope & Martyr
S. Martini I Papae et Martyris
Saint Martin I, Pope of Rome, suffered exile and harsh treatment for his defence of the true faith, and is honoured as a martyr who gave his life for the doctrine of Christ.
Saint Martin the First was chosen Bishop of Rome in the seventh century, in the year 649. A man of learning and of firmness in the faith, he was called to govern the Church at a time when a grave error concerning the person of Christ — the heresy which denied that our Lord had a true human will as well as a divine — troubled the East and was favoured by the powers of the world.
A martyr for the faith
Soon after his election, Saint Martin convened a great synod at Rome which set forth the orthodox faith and condemned the error then spreading. For this defence of sound doctrine he drew upon himself the anger of the imperial court at Constantinople. He was seized by the emperor’s officers, carried off from Rome by force despite his ill health, and brought after a long and cruel journey to the imperial city, where he was subjected to harsh imprisonment and public humiliation, and at length condemned and sent into exile.
He was banished to the Crimea, on the far shore of the Black Sea, where he endured great hardship, hunger, and neglect, abandoned by many and worn down by suffering. There, after some time, he died, about the year 656, a confessor of the faith who had borne exile and privation rather than betray the truth of Christ. The Church has ever honoured him as a martyr, reckoning that he gave his life for the faith as truly as those who died by the sword; and he is counted among the last of the Bishops of Rome to be venerated as martyrs.
The collect of his feast prays to the Eternal Shepherd to look graciously upon his flock and to keep it under continual protection through blessed Martin, the Sovereign Pontiff whom God set as shepherd of the whole Church. In him the faithful honour a Pope who held fast to the true faith at the cost of his liberty and his life.
The Collect
Look graciously upon thy flock, O eternal Shepherd, and keep it under thy continual protection, through blessed Martin thy Supreme Pontiff, whom thou didst appoint to be the shepherd of the whole Church.
Gregem tuum, Pastor ætérne, placátus inténde: et, per beátum Martínum Summum Pontíficem, perpétua protectióne custódi; quem totíus Ecclésiæ præstitísti esse pastórem.
Patronage
He is venerated as a Pope and martyr who suffered exile and death for the defence of the orthodox faith.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar his memorial is observed on 13 April, as an optional memorial.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Martin I?
His feast is kept on 12 November in the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal, as a Third Class feast. In the modern calendar his memorial is observed on 13 April, as an optional memorial.
Who was Saint Martin I?
He was Pope of Rome from 649, who defended the true faith against the heresy that denied Christ a human will. For this he was seized by the imperial authorities, carried to Constantinople, ill-treated, and exiled to the Crimea, where he died about 656. He is honoured as a martyr and is counted among the last Popes venerated as martyrs.
Why is he honoured as a martyr though he did not die by the sword?
Saint Martin endured violent seizure, imprisonment, public humiliation, and a harsh exile that wore down his health and brought about his death, all for his fidelity to the orthodox faith. The Church reckons that he gave his life for Christ as truly as those who died by execution, and so honours him among the martyrs.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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