At the general audience, Francis recalled the “luminous testimony” of the Missionaries of Charity who died in Yemen serving the least in the context of a war. “There are so many martyrs today and they are not heroes, but ripe fruits of the Lord’s vineyard.” In a message to the French Church in view of the 2024 Olympic Games, the invitation to sport not to forget the latter.
Vatican City () – “You must never kill in the name of God, because for Him we are all brothers. But together we can give our lives for others.” This is how Pope Francis expressed himself today addressing the faithful during the general audience in Saint Peter’s Square.
Speaking in his catechesis about the martyrs as an image of apostolic zeal, he highlighted their topicality, recalling once again that “they are more numerous in our time than in the first centuries.” And he cited – in particular – the shining example of the Missionaries of Charity murdered in Yemen while they dedicated themselves to serving the poor and the sick in the context of a terrible war. They were killed in 2016 by Islamic militants along with some Muslims who worked with them.
Highlighting the inseparable link with the mission, Francis explained that “the word martyrdom comes from the Greek martyria, which means precisely testimony. However, very soon in the Church – he added – the word martyr was used to indicate those who gave testimony to the point of shedding blood”. “Martyrs should not be seen as ‘heroes’ who acted individually, like flowers that sprout in a desert, but rather as mature and excellent fruits of the Lord’s vineyard, which is the Church”, he added. For this, frequent participation in the Eucharist was fundamental, which led the first Christians to direct their lives towards that mystery of love: “If the Lord Jesus had given his life for them, they too could and should give theirs for him and for their brothers”.
But martyrdom is not just a story from the past: “There are many martyrs today: those who are expelled from society or go to jail for professing their faith.” In imitation of Jesus, “they turn the violence of those who reject the announcement into a supreme occasion for love, which goes as far as the forgiveness of their tormentors.” And even those who do not find themselves in situations that could lead to bloodshed “are called to bear witness to life, making a gift of themselves to God and to his brothers.”
A particularly shining example in our time was that of the Missionaries of Charity in Yemen: “Even today they are still present in this land wounded by a terrible war, offering assistance to the elderly, the sick and people with disabilities.” Some suffered martyrdom in 1998 and again in 2016, “but others continue: they risk their lives and move on. They welcome everyone, of any religion, because charity and fraternity have no borders.”
“In 2016, Sr. Anselma, Sr. Margarita, Sr. Reginette and Sr. Judith were murdered, along with some lay people who helped them in charity work,” the Pope recalled. “Among these lay people murdered, in addition to Christians, there were believers Muslims who worked with the sisters. We are moved to see how the witness of blood can unite people of different faiths.”
“Let us pray, then – the Pontiff concluded his reflection – so that we do not tire of bearing witness to the Gospel even in times of tribulation. May all the holy martyrs be seeds of peace and reconciliation among peoples for a more humane and brotherly, waiting for the Kingdom of Heaven to be fully manifested, when God is all in all”. And on this path – at the end of the greetings to the groups present – he also today invited them to persevere “in closeness and in prayer for the beloved and martyred Ukraine, which continues to endure terrible suffering”.
Francis also invited the “profound and fruitful meeting between people of all horizons, belonging to different peoples, cultures and religions”, with a view to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. It was a message sent on his behalf to French Catholics by Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, in these days in which the Transalpine Church presented its initiatives for the great sporting event next year. Specifically, the Pope recommended not forgetting “to help to integrate the disabled, poor or marginalized”, and hoped that the Olympic Games “be an occasion, through sport, of a true impulse of fraternity that the world so much needs”.
