Richard Atkins facts for kids

Richard Atkins (born around 1559, died 1581) was an English person who is remembered as a Protestant martyr. This means he died because of his strong religious beliefs.

Who Was Richard Atkins?

Richard Atkins was born in a town called Ross in Herefordshire, England. For the first nineteen years of his life, he followed the Catholic faith. After that, he became a Protestant, though it's not clear exactly when or for how long he held these beliefs before his final actions.

A Journey to Rome

In the summer of 1581, Richard Atkins traveled to Rome, a very important city for the Catholic Church. He carried his New Testament, which is part of the Christian Bible. While in Rome, he openly spoke out against some of the religious leaders, saying they were not living their lives properly. He also criticized the Church itself.

Because of his strong words, he was arrested and held for a short time by the Inquisition. The Inquisition was like a special court run by the Church. Its job was to find and punish people who went against Catholic teachings.

Challenging the Church

After he was released from prison, Richard Atkins continued to challenge the Church. He spoke loudly in public places against the Catholic faith as it was practiced then, and especially against the Pope, who is the leader of the Catholic Church.

He also performed actions that were seen as very serious. For example, he tried to stop a priest who was carrying the sacrament (a holy item) through the streets. He even tried to knock it down.

A few days later, he went to St Peter's Basilica, a very famous church in Rome. While people were attending a religious service, he went up to the altar. He threw down a chalice (a special cup for wine) and tried to take the host (a special bread) from the priest's hand before it was blessed.

Standing Firm in His Beliefs

Richard Atkins was arrested again after these events. When he was questioned, he explained that he had come to Rome specifically to speak out against what he saw as the Pope's wrongdoing and the worship of idols (which Protestants believed was happening in the Catholic Church at that time).

Many people from his home country tried to convince him to change his mind and take back his words. However, Richard Atkins refused to change his beliefs. Because he would not give up his Protestant views, he was severely punished. He was burned to death in front of St. Peter's Basilica on August 2, 1581.