Did you know Libya's origins go back to Christianity???

The beginnings of the Church in Libya go back to the origins of Christianity itself. One recalls Simon of Cyrene who helped Christ carry the cross (Mk 15, 21). On the day of Pentecost, there were in Jerusalem, some devout men coming from Libya, belonging to Cyrene (Ac 2,10). After the persecution of Jerusalem, it was some citizens from Cyprus and Cyrene who carried the Good News of Jesus to the Greeks (Ac 11,20). According to the tradition of the Coptic Church in Egypt, St. Mark would be originally from Cyrene. Some historians hold that in the year 40 AD, Mark was back in Cyrene where he converted many Jews and Greeks. Later around the year 60, he went to Alexandria where he founded several Christian communities.

Martyrs
There are lists of those from Cyrene who were Martyrs for their faith. In the Roman Martyrology we find the name of Theodorus, bishop of Cyrene who was martyred in 302 AD; another Theordorus together with the deacon Irenaeus and the Lectors Serapius and Ammonius, suffered martyrdom on 26th March 319 AD. One of the most famous martyrs of the persecution of Diocletian, was St. Cyrilla, a noble girl from Cyrene.

The Church in Cyrene
The Church in Cyrene unfortunately became very famous because of the heretic Arius who came from Tolemaidis. Arius was still a deacon when in 317 BC. he started to preach his heresy in Alexandria of Egypt. At the Council of Nicea (325 BC.) which defined the Divinity of Christ, three faithful followers of Arius, bishops Secundus of Tolemaidis, Theonas of Derna and Eusebius of Nicomedia, refused their allegiance to its decisions.

Conquest of Islam
The rapid conquests of the arab-muslims, between the 7th and 12th centuries, gradually obliterated christianity from North Africa.

Those who continued to follow Christ
Christianity never stopped existing in the North Africa though. In the beginning of the 12th - 13th century the Christians were no longer natives but foreigners, mainly merchants from Pisa and Genoa and Maltese. Christianity became therefore of foreigners to which the Church provided assistance through the missions. During the 13th century, the Republics of Genova and Venice had managed to re-establish commercial relations between old Africa and Europe and much to the credit of ST. FRANCIS of ASSISI, which brought more opportunity for Libyans to hear about Christ. But in 1219 while St Francis departed to Egypt, his followers in 1224-25 went to Morocco where they were martyred.

There have been so many who have died for their faith there throughout the years.

Pray for the Libyan Believers that they will be protected, yet brave enough to be Christ to their lost countrymen. Pray also that the Libyan who don't know Christ will seek out the history of their country and find what will bring them true life, beyond the desperate life so many of them have lived for so long at the hands of darkness.... His name is Jesus...