De sancto Marcellino papa
The Fall and Repentance of a Shepherd
Pope Marcellinus, having faltered under the pressure of persecution, submits himself to the judgment of the Church and finds deep repentance.
Marcellinus led the Roman Church for nine years and four months. He was captured by order of Diocletian and Maximian and brought in to offer sacrifice. But when he refused and, as a result, had to endure various kinds of torture, he placed two grains of incense on the sacrifice out of fear of suffering. Then there was great joy among the faithless, but a deep sadness struck the faithful. Nevertheless, when the head is weakened, the strong members rise up and make little of the threats of princes. Then the faithful gathered before the supreme pontiff and rebuked him severely. Seeing this, he submitted himself to be judged in a council of bishops. They told him, "Far be it that the supreme pontiff should be judged by anyone; rather, gather your case within yourself and judge yourself with your own mouth." He was deeply penitent, however, and groaned over his actions; he resigned his office, but the entire congregation re-elected him anyway.
The Martyrdom and the Apostle's Command
After his martyrdom, Marcellinus remains unburied due to his own decree of unworthiness, until Saint Peter intervenes to ensure his proper rest.
When the Caesars heard of this, they had him arrested again, and because he absolutely refused to offer sacrifice, they ordered him to be beheaded; the hostility grew so intense that within a month, seventeen thousand Christians were put to death. When Marcellinus was about to be beheaded, he declared himself unworthy of a Christian burial and therefore excommunicated anyone who would dare to bury him. As a result, his body remained unburied. It stayed that way for thirty-five days. After this, the blessed Apostle Peter appeared to Marcellus, his successor, and said, "Brother Marcellus, why do you not bury me?" He replied, "Lord, weren't you buried long ago?" The Apostle answered, "I consider myself unburied as long as I see Marcellinus unburied." He replied, "Lord, don't you know that he placed a curse on anyone who would bury him?" Peter said to him, "Isn't it written that whoever humbles himself will be exalted?" You should have considered this; go now and bury him at my feet." He went at once and carried out the command in a praiseworthy way.
Read the original Latin
Marcellinus annis novem et mensibus quatuor Romanam ecclesiam rexit. Hie jussw Dyocletiani et Maximiani capitur et ad sacrificandum adducitur. Cum autem non assentiret et ex hoc diversorum tormentorum genera sustinere deberet, metu passionis duo grana incensi in sacrificio posuit. Tunc magna adest infidelium laetitia, sed fideles ingens tristitia percussit. Verumtamen in capite infirmato fortia membra resurgunt et minas principum parvi pendunt. Tune fideles ad summum pontificem conveniunt et ipsum plurimum redarguunt. Quod ille cernens in concilio episcoporum se supposuit judicandum. Ad quem illi; absit ut summus pontifex ab aliquo judicetur, sed tu in te collige cansam tuam et proprio ore te dijudica.
Ipse autem poenitens plurimum ingemuit et se ipsum deposuit, sed tamen eum omnis turba iterum reelegit. Quod Caesares audientes iterum eum capi fecerunt et, dum nullatenus sacrificare vellet, eum decollari mandaverunt et iterum crevit furor hostilis, ut infra mensem XVII millia christianorum perimerentur. Marcellinus autem cum decapitari deberet, se christiana sepultura indignum esse asseruit et ideo omnes, qui se sepelire praesumerent, excommunicavit. Quapropter corpus ejus insepultum. XXXV diebus remansit. Post hoc beatus Petrus apostolus Marcello successori apparnit dicens: frater Marcelle, quare non sepelis me? Cui ille: nonne dudum sepultus es, domine? Cui apostolus: me insepultum reputo, quamdiu Marcellinum insepultum videro.
Cui ille: nonne, domine, nosti, quia ille omnes, qui eum sepelirent, anathematisavit. Cui Petrus: nonne scriptum est, qui se humiliat, exaltabitur? Unde hoc attendere debuisti, Vade igitur et ipsum ad pedes meos sepelias. Qui statim ivit et jussa laudabiliter complevit.
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