Icon of the New Martyrs and Witnesses of Faith of the 20th Century in the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on Tiber Island in Rome
Pope Leo to preside at ecumenical commemoration of modern
martyrs
Pope Leo will join with representatives of other Churches and
Ecclesial Communities on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross for an
ecumenical ceremony commemorating 21st century martyrs and witnesses of the
faith.
By Christopher Wells
Pope Leo XIV is set to preside at a prayer service to
remember the many Christians of our time who have been killed on account of
their faith in Christ.
The Holy Father will be joined by representatives of other
Christian Churches and ecclesial communities for an “Ecumenical Commemoration
of Martyrs and Witnesses of the Faith of the Twenty-first Century,” which will
take place on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sunday, 14
September, in the Papal Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls.
The Commemoration is an initiative of the Dicastery for the
Causes of Saints and its Commission of New Martyrs – Witnesses to the Faith,
which was established in 2023 by Pope Francis “to identify the Witnesses of the
Faith in this first quarter century and to continue it into the future.”
Speaking on Friday to members of the Ecumenical Joint
Working Group of the Catholic Church and the World Council of Church’s, the
prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch,
said the commemoration “will give visible expression to the conviction that the
Church is already one in the blood of her martyrs.”
Preserving memory
At a press conference on Monday presenting the
Commemoration, the President of the Commission of New Martyrs, Archbishop Fabio
Fabene, described the Commission’s work, saying that their research “has
embraced all Christian denominations, since the vitality of baptism unites all
Christians who gave their lives,” and adding, “thus is realized the ‘ecumenism
of blood,’ as Saint John Paul II liked to call martyrdom.”
“The Church is already united,” Abp Fabene continued, “and
Pope Leo in turn hope that the blood of these martyrs will be ‘a seed of peace,
reconciliation, fraternity, and love.’” The Archbishop added, “The Commission’s
work of documentation is meant to ensure these stories are not lost, but preserved
in memory."
The 'geography' of
modern martyrs
Following Archbishop Fabene’s remarks, Professor Andrea
Riccardi, Vice-President of the Commission, described the “geography” of the
witnesses of the faith, noting witnesses killed in the Americas by organized
crime, drug traffickers, or those who exploit the environment; the martyrs of
Europe, including missionaries who were killed in distant lands; the
persecutions of the Middle East and northern Africa, especially Eastern
Christians; and Christians at prayer in Asia, such as the victims of the Easter
bombing in Sri Lanka in 2019
Professor Riccardi noted sub-Saharan Africa as the continent
“where Christians die most,” pointing to victims of jihadist attacks, as well
as ethnic-political violence targeting missionaries.
Unfortunately, he said, “Christians continue to die”
throughout the world. “The manner of their lives and deaths changes, but they
continue to die as witnesses of the Gospel – passionate for God and their
brothers and sisters, authentic servants of humanity, free communicators of the
faith.”
A great encouragement
to unity
Finally, the Commission’s Secretary, Monsignor Marco Gnavi,
explained that the commemoration of the twenty-first century witnesses of the
faith would take the form of a Liturgy of the Word, presided over by Pope Leo,
with 24 representatives of various Christian denominations taking part. “They
represent the Christian oikoumene that desires to be permeated
by this heritage,” he said.
Msgr Gnavi explained, “This liturgy will allow the Word of
God to speak and broaden our memory to include that of other Christians of
different confessions,” adding that it stands in continuity with the similar
ecumenical celebration led by Pope St John Paul II at the Colosseum during the
Great Jubilee of the year 2000.
Noting that the ceremony will include testimonies from some
of the martyrs, Msgr Gnavi said, “Being side by side, while the martyrs speak
of their life through their death, is a great encouragement toward unity –
among ourselves and within the whole human family we long for in love.”
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