Pope Francis ordered a census of today's Christian martyrs: the Holy Father set up a special committee within the Vatican office responsible for canonization.
The task of the working group called New Martyrs - witnesses of the faith is to list those whose blood was shed for witnessing Christ and the Gospel in the last quarter of a century. The papal document emphasizes that the catalog-like work does not apply exclusively to Catholic martyrs.
According to Pope Francis, the census of today's martyrs is considered a preparation for the jubilee holy year of 2025.
The number of martyrs who sacrificed their lives to testify to Christ and the Gospel is higher in modern times than in the first centuries of Christianity, the head of the Catholic Church wrote in the document in which he ordered the census of martyrs.
"The martyrs were present in the life of the church in all ages (..) there are more of them in our time than in the first centuries: bishops, priests, nuns and monks, lay people and their families, who in various countries of the world, by sacrificing their lives, have borne witness to the highest level of love" Pope Francis wrote.
He added: in our time, even in the most dangerous situations, Christians do not give up witnessing the life force of baptism that binds them together.
"There are not a few people who, aware of the dangers that threaten them, practice their faith or participate in the Sunday sacrament. Others are killed while working hard to help the lives of the poor in love, to care for the outcasts of society, to advocate the gift of peace and the power of forgiveness. Others are silent victims of historical upheavals, individuals or groups. We owe them all a great debt and we cannot forget them," Pope Francis emphasized.
In addition to Christian martyrs officially recognized by the church, the commission set up by the head of the church must also search for lesser-known or so far anonymous martyrs with the help of local churches, Christian communities and other institutions.
The commission was headed by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The vice-president was professor of history Andrea Ricciardi, the founder of the Szent Egyed community, and the secretary of the commission was performed by parish priest Marco Gnavi, who already dealt with this issue in 2000. The fourteen-member working group included several priests from the developing world.
MTI
