Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "To be a saint does not only require human effort or personal commitment to sacrifice and renunciation. First of all, we must allow ourselves to be transformed by the power of God's love, which is greater than us and makes us capable of loving even beyond what we thought we were capable of", said Pope Francis, who this morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, in the Vatican, received in audience the participants in the Conference on the theme of martyrdom and the offering of life, organized by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
"In the martyr we find the features of the perfect disciple, who imitated Christ in renouncing himself and taking on his own cross, and, transformed by his charity, showed to all the salvific power of his Cross", underlined the Pontiff and referring to the Coptic Orthodox Christians massacred on a beach in Libya by jihadist executioners, added: "The martyrdom of those good Orthodox Libyans: they died saying “Jesus”. “But father, they were orthodox!”.
They were Christians. They are martyrs, and the Church venerates them as her own martyrs… With martyrdom there is equality". And the same, continued the Bishop of Rome, "happens in Uganda, with the Anglican martyrs. They are martyrs! And the Church takes them all as martyrs". In this regard, the Pope recalled that in the Bull of Indiction of the next Jubilee, the testimony of the martyrs is defined as the "most convincing testimony of hope. This is why, within the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, I wanted to set up the Commission for the New Martyrs - Witnesses of the Faith, which, distinct from the treatment of the causes of martyrdom, would gather the memory of those who, even within the other Christian denominations, were able to give up their lives in order not to betray the Lord. And there are many, many of other denominations, who are martyrs".
"Even today, in many parts of the world, there are many martyrs who give their life for Christ", said the Pope.
"What differs, in the various ages, is not the concept of martyrdom, but the concrete ways in which, in a specific historic context, it occurs", concluded the Pope, who defined the three fundamental elements of martyrdom, which always remain valid: "The martyr is a Christian who - firstly - in order not to deny his faith, consciously suffers a violent and premature death.
Even an unbaptized Christian, who is Christian at heart, confesses Jesus Christ at the Baptism of blood. Secondly, the killing is perpetrated by a persecutor, moved by hatred against the faith or another virtue connected to it; and thirdly, the victim assumes an unexpected attitude of charity, patience, meekness, in imitation of the crucified Jesus". (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 14/11/2024)
