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Wednesday, 10 June 2020

St Peter of Alexandria



26th November is the saint’s day of Saint Peter of Alexandria, who was martyred by the Romans in 311. He is widely believed to be the last Christian martyr before religious toleration was declared throughout the Empire by Emperor Constantine.

Peter became Bishop of Alexandria in 300, and was noted for his policy of lenience towards Christians who had been forced to renounce their faith (sometimes after torture) but who now wanted to return to the fold. This policy did not go down well with everyone, one of these critics being a priest named Melitius who maintained that such people must be re-baptized if they had ever sacrificed to pagan gods since their original baptism.

When Peter was forced to go into hiding, Melitius usurped his position as bishop, for which deed Peter had him excommunicated. However, true to his policy of offering forgiveness to backsliders, Peter offered Melitius the chance to repent and be accepted back into the Christian community.

When Peter was martyred by being beheaded, Melitius escaped the persecution and continued to cause trouble in the church by leading a breakaway sect. It is little surprise that Peter was later canonized but Melitius was not.


© John Welford

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