He referred to as Catholics to recollect the various women and men who’ve given their lives for Christ over the greater than 2,000-year historical past of the Church, particularly the quite a few martyrs of recent occasions.
Quoting once more from Lumen gentium, he mentioned, “the Second Vatican Council reminds us that ‘the Church considers martyrdom,’ this disciple, ‘as an distinctive reward and because the fullest proof of affection. By martyrdom a disciple is reworked into a picture of his Grasp by freely accepting dying for the salvation of the world — in addition to his conformity to Christ within the shedding of his blood.’”
Pope Francis concluded his message by naming a number of the Church’s latest martyrs within the nation of Yemen, together with three Missionaries of Charity — Sister Aletta, Sister Zelia, and Sister Michael — who have been shot lifeless in July 1998 whereas returning dwelling from Mass.
He additionally recalled the March 2016 assault on the Missionaries of Charity in Aden, Yemen, wherein a gunman killed 16 individuals, together with Sister Anselm, Sister Marguerite, Sister Reginette, and Sister Judith. The Catholic missionary priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil was kidnapped within the assault. He was launched 18 months later in September 2017.
The pope identified that a number of the individuals killed within the 2016 taking pictures have been Muslims who collaborated with the Missionaries of Charity of their work.
“It strikes us to see how the witness of blood can unite individuals of various religions,” he mentioned. “One ought to by no means kill within the title of God, as a result of for him we’re all brothers and sisters. However collectively one may give one’s life for others.”
“Allow us to pray, then, that we might by no means tire of bearing witness to the Gospel, even in occasions of tribulation,” Francis mentioned. “Might all of the martyr saints be seeds of peace and reconciliation amongst peoples, for a extra humane and fraternal world, as we await the total manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven, when God can be all in all.”
Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic Information Company’s senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a level in English from Truman State College in Missouri.
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