Bishop
Saint Pothinus was a disciple of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna. Through him, he may also have encountered Saint John the Theologian. Pothinus came from Asia Minor to the region of Lugdunum (present-day Lyon) around the year 140, where he became its first bishop. Although little is known about his ministry, he is especially remembered for his holy martyrdom.
He suffered martyrdom together with forty-three other saints in Lyon in 177. In the same year, the Churches of Lyon and Vienne composed a letter concerning the steadfast confession of faith of the Gallic Christians, which constitutes the earliest written Christian testimony from the territory of present-day France. The letter describes the persecutions that took place during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, when the pagans refused to admit Christians into their homes and marketplaces, while they were also abused and persecuted in the streets.
The holy martyrs were cast into prison and subjected to cruel tortures. Despite their sufferings and humiliations, their tormentors were unable to force them to renounce their faith. The elderly Bishop Pothinus was brought before the judge and beaten by the crowd, eventually dying while imprisoned.
Finally, the pagans burned the bodies of the holy martyrs and cast their ashes into the River Rhône, attempting to erase their memory.
The Martyrs of Lyon are regarded as confessors of the faith and steadfast examples of love for the person of Jesus Christ.
