The first Christians of Crete

According to the Holy Scriptures, it was Saint Paul who first evangelized and made Christianity known in the greek island of crete. He is also believed to have been the first to organize the Christian church.
Paul and his followers were going to Rome and a great storm caught them in the sea and for that reason it was that they arrived in Crete, in Kali Limenes, that is, in Good Ports, as told in Acts of the Apostles, (27-8).
Saint Paul after being released from his first prison in Rome, returned to Crete, it is at that time that he prepares his disciple Titus of Greek origin, Cretan, and leaves him in charge of the entire Christian church on the island.
Saint Paul left Titus on the island to form elders, who would be incorruptible, (Titus 1- 4-5)
Titus later was the first bishop of Gortyna. It is said that Titus divided Crete into 9 dioceses, but it is also said that this restructuring is later.
In the time of Titus Christianity in the Island of crete met strong resistance especially from the Jews.
Titus is succeeded by Philip, who achieved something very important, that the Romans stopped persecuting the Christians. Although it is known that the persecutions of the Emperor Decius to the Christians were also terrible, and even more so in Crete.
The multitude of victims of the Emperor Decius were converted into the first martyrs of the Cretan Christian church and were called the Ten Saints.
In the XNUMXth century, this is when Cretan Christianity finished the construction of the Basilica of Saint Titus of Gortina, thus becoming the first Christian monument.


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