The martyrs of Christianity : The green martyrs

Table of contents :

1- A new type of martyr: the hermits or anchorites of antiquity

2- Living as a hermit in the desert to get closer to God

3- A precursor of the anchorite or hermit movement: Saint Anthony the Great or Saint Anthony of the Desert

4- The many hermits of the Middle Ages

5- The spread of the hermit model in the West

6- The daily life of the hermit

7- The example of a hermit and his influence: the story of Saint Emilion

8- In the second half of the Middle Ages, the development of recluses

The history of Christianity in the first centuries was marked by martyrs who suffered to defend their faith in Jesus and his message. We are especially familiar with the martyrs of the first, second and third centuries, when the words of Christ were seen as a danger by the Roman Empire. These martyrs who suffered in their bodies for their faith were called red martyrs in reference to the blood they shed.

The Catholic Encyclopaedia also identifies white martyrs, those who are persecuted for their faith, and green martyrs, who choose fasting and deprivation to get closer to God. The latter usually prefer austere and solitary places to fully live their faith.

Today we will focus on these green martyrs who were widespread in antiquity, but whose movement continued in other forms into the Middle Ages.

A new type of martyr: the hermits or anchorites of antiquity

The term anchorite is the scientific synonym for the word hermit. In Greek, it literally means 'to withdraw', 'to separate'. It is mainly used by Eastern Christians.

Living as a hermit in the desert to get closer to God

After the martyrs of the first centuries, a new way of identifying with Christ appeared: it was to withdraw from society in particularly difficult living conditions. It was especially in Egypt, in the 3rd century, that this practice spread.

In the Acts of the Apostles, a communal lifestyle for the new Christians is described. At the same time, the search for isolation to get closer to God led some to new experiences. In this context, hermitism spread in the East from the 3rd century onwards. The cradle of these new practices appears above all in the Egyptian desert.

In the Bible, the desert has a special status: Moses, Elijah and Christ himself lived in the desert to encounter God. Jesus withdrew there to resist the temptations of the world for forty days.

Similarly, in the Gospels, Christ invites his disciples to abandon material goods and family ties.

Renunciation and trial are the basis of a new asceticism that enables us to resist all temptations but also to face suffering.

The purpose of this sacrifice is to live in poverty and physical discomfort, but also to move away from temptation. Gradually, this lifestyle, based entirely on meditation and suffering, was recognised by the Church as a means of drawing closer to Christ. Chastity is also encouraged by the Church.

This lifestyle was a craze in antiquity. Famous hermits like Paul of Thebes and Antony the Great in the 4th century set an example that attracted people. These hermits were considered holy men and people went to their places of retreat to visit them, consult them and absorb their wisdom.

These men were often monks who, after living in community, chose to isolate themselves further in order to get closer to God. The flight into the desert was also a way to escape the last persecutions practised by the Roman emperors between 250 and 303 against the Christians in North Africa.

From the 4th century onwards, the church became an institution and was therefore also a new way of suffering for the distance from God. In fact, the Christian religion gradually became the dominant religion.

A forerunner of the anchorite or hermit movement: St Anthony the Great or St Anthony of the Desert

Anthony is a rich young man and landowner in Upper Egypt. Tormented by the question of his salvation, he enters a church where he hears the rich young man's gospel. Convinced that this coincidence gives him the way forward, he distributes his wealth and land to the poor. He then retreated to the desert of Thebaid, Egypt, where he began to lead a hermit's life.

For more than 20 years, he was attacked by the devil in the form of sensual or ferocious beasts. These tales gave rise to the 'Temptations of Saint Anthony'. Gradually, knowledge of his way of life spread and disciples joined him. He organised a common life for them. This is why St. Anthony is considered 'the father of monks'. He died in 356.

The many hermits of the Middle Ages

The spread of the hermit model in the West

It was in Ireland that the hermit movement was most successful. Indeed, the harsh climate of the region allowed monks seeking sacrifice to live a hard life, far from the comforts and temptations of society.

At the beginning of the 4th century, the Christian religion and its dogmas were not yet fully established. Arianism, founded by Arius, was seen as a danger to Christianity. While the conflict was still unresolved, the monk Anastasius went into exile in the West. There he made the practices of the hermits known, in particular through the Life of St. Anthony.

St Martin, bishop of Tours, was attracted to this way of life and practised hermitism to get as close as possible to the life of the apostles. St Martin's precepts inspired the hermits of the early Middle Ages. In the mid 4th century, St Patrick evangelised Ireland, where he in turn spread the model of monastic life.

The daily life of the hermit

Most often, hermit monks live in simple cells built against the wall of a church. In the most extreme cases, the monk is walled up in his cell after a mass for the dead has been celebrated for him. He receives the sacrament of communion, food and water through a small opening in his cell made for this purpose.

This extreme lifestyle was very inspiring for the Christians of the time. Many travelled to listen to the advice of these holy men.

The example of a hermit and his influence: the story of Saint Emilion

Monks often followed the rules of Saint Benedict. From the 6th century onwards, Benedictine monks spread throughout the rural world. Already at this time, their presence is attested in a village in the Bordeaux region. A Breton monk named Emilion joined them and settled as a hermit in one of the many underground caves.

Soon, disciples joined him and settled near him. His hermitage became a centre of evangelisation according to the Benedictine rule. At the same time, the village grew and became a town. In the 8th century, when Saint Emilion died, he was buried in the monolithic church of this town. A few years later, the town took the name Saint Emilion.

In the second half of the Middle Ages, the development of recluses

Although we have so far only spoken of male hermits, women also participated in this movement of penance and isolation.

In the Middle Ages, every large city had its own recluse. In Paris, it was located on the left bank, near the cemetery of the Innocents. In Bordeaux, the recloister was located in Saint Ladre, in the parish of Saint Eloi. The recluses were seen as 'spiritual sentinels' charged with praying for the city. Their prayers were meant to protect the city from all the evils of the time: wars, famines, epidemics.

This supernatural protection reassured the population. These were often poor people belonging to the working classes, in mourning or stricken by illness. These men or women, already poor and deprived of everything, sacrificed their lives in the hope of making the supreme sacrifice and obtaining the promised heavenly rewards through their suffering. They would only leave their cells as corpses.

Under these conditions, the inmates did not live long, but were inhabited by the usefulness of their suffering and the aspiration to sacrifice.

Although such extreme forms of living no longer exist today, the practice of solitary confinement in places designed for this purpose, such as monasteries, remains a recourse for Christians. Moreover, suffering is still experienced by some as a test that helps them to get closer to God.

Prayers for the martyrs of Christianity

Lord Jesus, we praise and thank you for the martyrs of the faith who gave their lives to bear witness to your truth.

We thank you for their courage and determination to remain faithful to you despite persecution and suffering.

We pray that we may follow their example by being courageous in our own faith, even when we face trials and opposition.

Help us to be true witnesses to your truth, loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us.

We pray for the souls of the martyrs, that they may rest in peace in your eternal kingdom.

We pray for the Christians who are still persecuted today, that they may be protected and comforted by your grace.


Amen