Answer: The correct answer is Pope Sixtus II. He was seized and executed while celebrating Mass in the cemetery of St. Callixtus, becoming one of the most venerated martyrs of the third‑century Church. His death is closely linked with the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, who served as one of his deacons.
Valerian’s persecution in 258 AD wasn’t random cruelty; it was a calculated political move born from a moment when the Roman Empire felt cornered. By the late 250s, Rome was under enormous pressure: foreign invasions, internal rebellions, economic collapse, and a general sense that the old imperial order was slipping. In moments like that, emperors often looked for a single cause to blame, and Valerian chose the Christian community.
He issued two edicts. The first targeted clergy, ordering bishops, priests, and deacons to perform sacrifices to the Roman gods or face exile. When that didn’t break the Church’s leadership, he escalated. The second edict in 258 demanded execution of clergy who refused to sacrifice and confiscation of property from Christian aristocrats. This is the edict that led to the death of Pope Sixtus II, who was seized during a liturgy in the cemetery of St. Callixtus.
Valerian’s reasoning was rooted in the belief that Rome’s misfortunes came from neglecting traditional gods. Christians, who refused public sacrifice, were seen as undermining the empire’s relationship with the divine. His policy was an attempt to restore stability by enforcing religious conformity. Ironically, it had the opposite effect: the brutality strengthened Christian solidarity and produced some of the most revered martyrs of the early Church, including Sixtus II and Lawrence.