African Martyrs of the Holy Scriptures

On the 7th January the Christian Church commemorates the many holy martyrs in North Africa, throughout the provinces of the Roman empire; who, when emperor Diocletian, in either 303 or 304 after Christ, commanded the holy scriptures of the Bible, wherever found, to be burned, chose rather to suffer torments and death than to be accessory to their being destroyed by surrendering them into the hands of the professed enemies of their Author. This is all the more relevant today as the Christians in Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan etc are suffering persecution by ruthless enemies of the Church and their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ + Lord have mercy on them and us all + Kyrie eleison +