The New Martyr Benedict

Just over a month ago a South African man was beatified, he is that country's first Beatus. Benedict Daswa was a convert to the faith, a teacher, a husband, a father and a catechist whose faithful life as a Catholic was crowned with martyrdom. On the 2nd February 1990, just days before the world celebrated the release of Nelson Mandela from a South African prison, Benedict was being beaten to death because he defied the occult at work in his local community.

Benedict was born Tshimangadzo Samuel Daswa on the 16th June 1946, a member of the Lemba tribe. Interestingly this tribe followed Judaism and so he was brought up observing Jewish rituals and laws.  He initially worked among the herdsman in his youth before going to primary school in 1957 and then secondary school. He had hopes and dreams for his life and career, but these were put on hold when his father died and he had to work to provide for his mother and younger siblings. Keen to ensure they had a good education Tshimangadzo put his brothers and sisters through school.

Around 1961 he came into contact with Catholics when he was in Johannesburg, and intrigued he began a period of instruction which came to fruition on the 21st April 1963 when he was baptised and received into the Church: he took the name Benedict in honour of the Saint of Nurcia, adopting as his personal motto the motto of the Benedictine Order: ora et labora. 

Benedict finally got his chance, and he entered teacher training college. He worked as a teacher in his local area and was an active member of the Church, serving as a catechist. In 1974 he married Shadi Eveline Monyai and they had eight children, all of whom were brought up in the Catholic faith. He was doting father and generous husband assisting Shadi personally in rearing the children and carrying out household tasks which was unheard of at the time. Benedict was highly respected in his locality. He was widely known to be honest and good. As a teacher he showed a deep concern for his students not only in the classroom but he was also there for them when they needed him. His local tribe benefited from his assistance and wise counsel, the chief often having recourse to Benedict for advice.

In November 1989 and January 1990 a series of bad storms effected the local area. Many of the tribes-people turned to the old ways, to witch-doctors to discern what was happening. They concluded that the cause was magic and so urged the people to collect money to pay someone to find the witch responsible. When they came to Benedict he dismissed the explanation provided by the witch-doctors, the storms were natural phenomena he explained, and he refused to make a contribution to the fund. Spurned by his refusal the witch-doctors sought revenge.

On the evening of the 2nd February 1990 Benedict was driving home after carrying out a mission of mercy for a sick child when he encountered fallen trees in the middle of the road. When he got out to clear the road he was set upon, ambushed by a group of young men who stoned him. Escaping he ran to a nearby house for refuge, the woman of the house took him in, but when the mob arrived and threatened to kill her, she told them where they could Benedict. Caught, Benedict was beaten with clubs around the head and boiling water was poured over his mouth and nostrils. His last words were: "God, into your hands receive my spirit".

Once the men had gone the terrified woman ran to fetch Benedict's brother, but Benedict was dead. The funeral took place on the 10th February, the celebrants wore red vestments, convinced already that here was a martyr who died for the truths of the faith. Benedict's death led to his mother's conversion to Catholicism, and to many other blessings and graces for his people whose veneration for his memory found Church approval with his beatification last month.

Blessed Benedict's death is significant for many reasons today. Apart from the extraordinary witness of laying down one's life for Christ, his dying in defence of the faith in the face of the occult resonates with us in these times when interest in the occult is growing again. Such practices preternaturalise God's creation, makes children of God subject to superstition, to questionable "energies" and leaves them prey to spiritualities" and practices that undermine rather than enhance faith. The occult, no matter how innocent, helpful or interesting it may seem, is a door which can allow demonic forces enter into our lives with disastrous results.

Benedict's life is also one of significance for Christian men today. As men seem to be drifting away from the faith, oftentimes not because they do not believe but rather because they can't be bothered, Benedict's example and passion for the Church is one our men need to hear about. Men find their true selves through the faith, it enhances, transforms and strengthens the virtues inherent in their manhood making them better men, husbands and fathers. 

Blessed Benedict has been raised up at the right time for all of us. Let us pray that God will soon grant a miracle through his intercession so he will be canonised before long. More information here.

Armenia, Turkey And Europe

The Holy Father seems to be drifting into a diplomatic incident with Turkey following his remarks on the Armenian genocide: the Turkish ambassador to the Holy See has been recalled for "consultations".  The Pope spoke of the genocide during the ceremony yesterday in St Peter's Basilica, when he declared St Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Church.

For a hundred years Turkey has lived in denial, refusing to admit the genocide, though historians are generally agreed that it happened. Indeed it was a martyrdom, one similar to what is happening in Syria and Iraq.  It is ironic, then, that the Turkish foreign minister should accuse the Pope of being "out of touch with both historical facts and legal basis" - in reality the delusion lies with Ankara. 

Such comments from an government official will not help matters. Turkey is still looking to enter the EU, denying what is obvious to all will not  help their case. Many Europeans have serious concerns about Turkey's accession to the Union, these concerns are heightened by Turkey's refusal to admit the sins of its past as they are by reported human rights abuses in the country. 

That said Europeans can hardly take the high moral ground on human rights abuses what with the prevalence of abortion and the growing persecution of Christians: we need to get our own house in order. Indeed Europe needs to face up to its current sin: the mass extermination of pre-born infants in the name of "choice" - more children have died in the clinics of Europe that Armenians in the genocide - that is not to lessen the horror of the genocide, but to make us realise that the horrors continue to this day in a different form, and there are many who are in state of denial.

The full text of the Holy Father's speech can be found here.

Women Of Grace

A friend of mine told me the story of how she picked her confirmation name: Perpetua. She had heard the story of the great martyr, whose feast we celebrate today, and she wanted to emulate the heroism, but she also thought the name was unique, it stood out, set her apart: so she took it. She was a little embarrassed later. However in a conversation I managed to reassure her that it was a venerable name because it was the name of a venerable woman and she should be proud to call herself Perpetua.

What great women we celebrate today: St Felicity and St Perpetua. No one could accuse them of being shrinking violets, oppressed Christian women: they were strong, holy women: the finest example both of Christianity and womanhood. In them we see what St John Paul called the "feminine genius". 

St Perpetua's last words will certainly resonate with us in these times: "Stand fast in the faith and love one another".

Are You Ready To Die For Christ?

That question in the title of this post may not be one you have ever considered. The idea of martyrdom knocking on your door may seem as far away as the ice of the South Pole, but given the times we are now living in, it may be time for all of us to begin to think about the possibility that we may have to face death for Christ. I was reading an interesting piece by Philip Kosloski in which he considers the possibility of martyrdom for all of us and it has got me thinking.  The question is: are we ready?

Martyrdom is a gift, as Philip points out, not all are called to lay down their lives - physically, for Christ, though we are all called to lay down our lives for him by our adherence to the faith, our call to holiness and our duty to evangelise. However we cannot exclude the possibility that we may have to face the knife, and the decision we make at that moment is one which will be informed by how we lived lives of allegiance to Christ, the Gospel and the Church.

But what are the chances of martyrdom? Most of those being martyred are in the East - in Syria, Iraq, those territories under ISIS. However militant Islam has its adherents all over the world, as we have seen in the attacks in Paris and Denmark, so there is a chance that there are those in our country, perhaps in our own city, who may be intent on making a statement about their Muslim faith through the shedding of blood. In London, for example, in the last couple of years two people were beheaded in what seemed to be jihadist attacks - a soldier and a woman in her own home. These two individuals were no better and no worse than any of us, yet they found themselves victims of radical Islam. There is no reason why any of us might not find ourselves in a similar situation and faced with the decision to either recite the Shahadah or make the supreme sacrifice.

Many believe that will not happen to us here safely ensconced in Ireland or the West, after all the attacks in Paris, Denmark and London were freak attacks, surely? I have personally seen the apathy and complacency of people here in the West - Church-going Catholics, who think all this will go away, it will not effect them, one even laughed in my face when I mentioned the possibility that radical Islamists might strike here in Ireland. I hope such confidence does not prove to be foolhardy, just naive. 

Now I am not trying to frighten people or create a sense of paranoia, but I am asking the question, that given the times we are in, are we ready to die for Christ? Are our lives conformed to Christ and his Gospel to the point that we will be able to renounce this earthly life rather than renounce our faith?  Persecution and the possibility of persecution tend to sharpen our focus on our faith, what it means for our lives - and our death. The daily reports of our brothers and sisters being killed for their Christian faith might also provide us with a wake up call, get us thinking seriously about what it means to be Christian. Lent is a good time for us to take a good look at our lives in that context.

Of course, martyrdom also includes white martyrdom - a persecution, perhaps hidden, where we are gradually forced to abandon our faith or compromise it. That is already happening in the West, we see it at work in Ireland: those who remain faithful to the Christian faith who find themselves having to take a stand being punished or sued, gradually pushed to the peripheries with little or no real political representation.  If the gay marriage referendum is passed here in Ireland, for example, we Christians will undoubtedly find ourselves under an increasingly more intense spotlight and our conformity will be earnestly sought. So martyrdom - white martyrdom is already here. In reality red martyrdom can often be easier, it is the long, drawn-out martyrdom of living in the midst of hostility and persecution which can difficult to endure, so let us pray for the grace to endure.

The Lesson From Our Suffering Brethren

Awful news today: ISIS has captured about ninety Christians. The Patriarch of the Syrian Catholic Church has asked our prayers. Let's remember them and pray that they will be safely returned to their families and homes. 

This is truly a time of great martyrdom. The martyrdom of the 20th century has given way to fierce persecutions in this new century. The faith and courage of many Christians is indeed being tested, and many of them are being found to be loyal, preferring death rather than renounce Christ. 

I do not wish such sufferings on our brothers and sisters, but one thing is certain in all of this: they are challenging us Western Christians by their fidelity. As the Church in the West dabbles with infidelity to Christ, ignores the Gospel, makes disloyal presumptions, attempts to overturn the moral law to keep comfortable Christians happy, true servants of Christ are shedding their blood rather than compromise their faith. 

Will Christians in the West get the message? I'm not sure, to be honest, I have personally seen great apathy by Catholics here who think the suffering of the Christians in the East has no bearing on them. I have seen priests who are more concerned with democratizing the Church than preaching the Gospel never mind shedding their blood for it. Our suffering brethren in the East are teaching us in the West an important lesson, I think we had better take heed of it.

UPDATE: A piece by Fr Longenecker on the kidnapping.

He Is A Martyr

It has been announced that the Holy Father has signed a Decree of Martyrdom recognizing that Archbishop Oscar Romero's murder was in odium fidei, in hatred of the faith, thus clearing the way for his beatification. As you know Archbishop Romero's Cause has been a source of controversy for many years given the difficulties in separating religion from politics not only in the motivation for his killing, but also in his ministry. He has been connected with Liberation Theology, a particular form of social justice which has, in part, dabbled in Marxism and even Pelagianism, and has been a thorn in the side of the Church for many years. 

Oscar Romero's concern for the poor, emerging from his Christian faith, cannot be doubt, the problem was to discern whether he embraced the radical forms of Liberation Theology and if he was killed for his politics rather than for his Catholic faith manifested in his defence of the poor and vulnerable. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the Holy Father, after many years of study, have concluded that he was killed out of hatred for his Catholic faith and the position of the Catholic Church, which he emulated, to protect and work for the poor. He has become a poster boy for Liberation Theology, including those elements which have more in common with Marx than Christ, but the Archbishop cannot be blamed for that - the investigation into his life had to look at the man and his killers, not those who seek to use him to promote their political agenda.

The Archbishop will be beatified now without the need for a miracle. However, for his canonisation, a miracle would be required and I believe, for the sake of prudence and to ease the anxieties of some, the Holy Father, or his successor, should allow the process to proceed normally: God should be allowed speak. Until he is beatified the Archbishop now holds the title "Venerable".

The body of the Venerable Archbishop Romero moments after this martyrdom

The Venerable Oscar's Cause is not the first to be immersed in politics, many others had to go through a process of careful sifting and intensive study. Though an easier case to examine, the Cause of Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko was one - was he killed out of hatred for the faith or because of his work with Solidarity? After careful study, like Romero, it was because of his Catholic faith and his defence of the rights of men and women which is central to the Church's social teaching. But there are others who Causes should be examined, among them two women who suffered during the Reformation in England - one killed, the other dying in virtual imprisonment after many years of long suffering. I am of course speaking of Mary, Queen of Scots and Katherine of Aragon.

Mary, Queen of Scots: a possible martyr too? 

Mary, Queen of Scots's life is mired in politics, but she was imprisoned by Elizabeth I, not really because she was the Tutor Queen's next heir and caused a problem for her, but rather because Mary was a Catholic and had become a rallying call for suffering Catholics in England. In the end Elizabeth had to have her killed so she could no longer be a threat to her throne. If Mary had been a Protestant she would not have been such a serious threat to the Protestant Queen. I think the Bishops of Scotland should examine the possibility of opening a Cause of martyrdom for Mary. She herself was convince she was dying for her faith, she came to her execution on the 24th July 1567, she wore a red pettycoat as a symbol - those responsible for her death got the message and were none too pleased. Some may cite some irresponsible acts earlier in her life as too serious a barrier to considering a Cause - if that is the case then we had better take St Augustine off the calendar, and whole host of other Saints and martyrs, prominent among them St Andrew Wouters.  

Similarly Katherine of Aragon's Cause should also be considered: her piety cannot be dismissed nor the patience and heroic virtue she seemed have demonstrated in her years of long-suffering at the hands of her unfaithful husband, Henry VIII. As she died she forgave her husband and prayed for him, revealing true, heroic charity. In a sense Oscar Romero's case may well give us the nudge to examine cases we may have put aside because they seemed too complicated to tackle.

Squaring The Triangle?

Further to my post earlier today, here is another example of historical revisionism concerning another Cromwell - Oliver Cromwell. This time Drogheda historian Tom Reilly's belief that Cromwell was not as bad as we Irish had painted him and Oliver is now due an apology from the Irish. 

Having served in Drogheda for seven years, I regard it now as my second home, I was aware of Mr Reilly's thesis for some years, the Catholic Herald is considering it now. Not too many Droghedians see things as Reilly does, and the Catholics there, and relations of the priests Cromwell martyred, tend not to have too much patience with the view either.

Anyway, it's out there, at least Mr Reilly is doing his research and arguing from the sources unlike others. He has not won too many to his point of view, and I am not inclined to accept his opinion myself. Every time I pass the Houses of Parliament in London and see the statue of the Scourge himself, mingled feelings of anger and impatience have to be combated with a prayer and an intentional distraction.

 

"Just keep walking, Father...Hold it in now!"

Dismantling The Virtuous

Two English bishops have reacted to the depiction of St Thomas More in BBC's series Wolf Hall, an adaption of author Hilary Mantel's novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, both of which have won the Booker Prize. [See article here] Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury and Bishop Mark O'Toole of Plymouth have severely criticized Mantel and the BBC's depiction of More as a scheming villain, an unenlightened, humourless and severe man: a characterization very much in opposition to contemporary accounts where even his enemies recognized a singular good and learned man.  He is even being portrayed, Bishop O'Toole points out, as anti-woman when in reality he was far advanced in his attitude towards women for this time, making the education of his daughters as much a priority as for his son.

Given that Mantel's books, and the BBC's adaption are centred on Thomas Cromwell and really represent a panegyric for Henry VIII's most loyal and faithful servant in the dissolution of the monasteries and the establishing of his new church, it is probably to be expected that one of the foremost men who stood in the way should be demonized. As you read Mantel's books and watch the series you have to bear in mind that we are not dealing with objective or good history, we are dealing with a particular view which is profoundly anti-Catholic and every event and every character is to be seen in the light of that prejudice, most especially the sainted men and women who could not consent to Henry's schemes. 

In recent years some historians have been looking again at More, and in their revised histories the renaissance man of letters and virtue disappears to be replaced by a bigot who took pleasure in burning heretics. Such an approach to history takes modern attitudes and developments and apply them to the past rather than seeks to study and understand individual figures as they actually were in their own time. When this hermeneutic is adopted you do not discover history or historical figures as was, but rather events and figures distorted by modern prejudice. This hermeneutic does not shed light on past events or people, but rather lionizes the idiosyncrasies of the present. 

As explained in the article, St  Thomas, as Lord Chancellor, did some things we would not have done, or at least we think we would not have done them. One of his duties was to protect the integrity of the state, and according to the law of the time heresy was seen as an action against that integrity (it was not seen then as simply a religious matter) - in the eyes of civil law it created dangerous divisions and corrupted the subjects of the king. It had to be dealt with, and the punishment for those convicted of heresy was a mandatory death sentence. 

The death sentence remains on the statute books of many countries today and, agree with it or not, it is still carried out for crimes considered heinous enough to deserve it. There are good people opposed to it and there are good people who see it as necessary for certain crimes. The Catechism tells us that the state still has the competence to use the death penalty for serious crimes, but given developments in security and incarceration etc, it is probably no longer necessary, but it still leaves the option there. That is what we have come to understand, St Thomas More, as a man of his time, lived in another age with a different understanding.  He did not take pleasure in the execution of heretics - at one point he did say that the state and the people were safer now that a particular individual was gone. And lest we feel we can judge him let us not forget that we live in an age where we are told the mutilation and killing in utero of innocent human beings is not only permitted, but should be a right protected by international and state law: we cannot be throwing stones at anyone in another age. In the sixteenth century a few heretics were burned, today we wade through the blood of tens of millions of children. That is an awful reality many of our contemporaries are quite happy to ignore while trying to silence those who are working to stop it.

There was a time, not that long ago, when people respected others regardless of their point of view. In that age Thomas More was regarded by most people as a man of integrity and conscience and he was respected for it, even by those who disagreed with him. Indeed there are many in Anglicanism who admire him even though he was deeply opposed to the founding of their church because it constituted a break with the Church founded by Christ to facilitate a king who wanted rid of his wife to marry his mistress. Agree or disagree with him on that, he was admired for his commitment to what he believed. Today, however, such a man of integrity is no longer admired. Relativism and secularism have rendered those who stand by their sincerely held faith and views as dangerous, as bigots: integrity is no longer admired because it usually stands in the way of progress.

Thomas Cromwell is now the model, a man who shaped his views and opinions to facilitate the prevailing opinion, he could see when the winds were changing and from where they were blowing at any given time, so he changed too. In that Cromwell may well be a fairly modern figure, but a model? A man to be admired? No. However we can learn one lesson from the life of the real Cromwell - you may twist and turn to keep up with the fickle winds, but one day you will not be quick enough to change and before you have time to squirm the axe will have fallen. St Thomas stood his ground, lost his head but preserved his integrity and, we believe, won the crown of martyrdom and eternal life. Cromwell just lost his head.

Aggie And Vinnie

The last few days has seen the Church celebrate the feasts of three of the martyrs of the Great Persecution - those who were killed under Diocletian. Sebastian, Agnes and Vincent of Saragossa - a Milanese, a Roman and a Spaniard, revealing how widespread that persecution was. Of course they also reveal the variety of people who chose to die rather than renounce Christ, people from various walks of life. Sebastian was a soldier,a man of the world; Agnes was a young girl from a noble and wealthy Roman family, from a generation usually cossetted and taken up with frivolities, Agnes was precocious in her faith and her commitment to Christ. Vincent, a deacon, spending his life, and himself, in the service of the Church. All three lived in the world, would have been happy to live their lives in the midst of the world; but those lives would have been immersed in Christ and the Gospel, and the world, and its secular powers, was threatened by that.  I have been thinking about Agnes and Vincent in the context of where we are now. 

Agnes chose the way of virginity: she is a virgin martyr dying as much for her virginity as her faith - indeed for her the two were so intimately connected they could not be separated. In other times she may have been a consecrated religious, but not necessarily - there are those who are called to live the virginal life in the midst of the world. Agnes refused to marry, her suitors, offended at being turned down, denounced her as a Christian to the authorities, she was arrested and interrogated. If she agreed to give up her virginity, give in to the sexual mores of Roman society, she would have been spared. She refused and she was killed.

Agnes's witness in terms of her virginity is twofold. While she did not demean marriage, she discerned it was not her calling. As a Christian she understood her relationship as being one of total gift to Christ, of virginal consecration. This witness is beautiful but also challenging, it reveals to all of us that our being disciples of Christ will require a commitment which will effect the way we live our lives - to be a real Christian we have to allow the Gospel soak into our flesh as well as our souls, minds and hearts, and that will have consequences for how we live our lives. Our lives, even the intimate aspects of our lives, may well have to change. 

Agnes's witness to virginity also reminds us of something else: sex is not everything. We live in a society that has idolized sex, so much so that there are many people, Christians among them, who cannot understand how anyone can live without having sex, usually on a regular basis. Attacks on priestly celibacy usually emerge from this opinion, not from any concern for individual priests and their lives. There is also a certain Gnosticism attached to sex: having sex regularly, seems in the views of some, to confer a singular wisdom, an insight into reality which is denied to the virginal, the celibate and the chaste. Hence as priests we often hear people tell us we know nothing about real life because we are not married or we are virgins. Even in the context of marriage sex is not everything - the commitment is deeper than that. If a marriage is based on sex alone, or it is the most important aspect of the marriage, that marriage might not last, one of the spouses may well begin to feel that they are nothing more than a slave for the desires of the other.

Agnes, however, teaches us otherwise. She was a confident, free and wise young woman. She was courageous and strong even though she was so young when she was killed. She teaches us that we need to rethink our attitude to sex - it is not the be all and the end all. Of course it is important, it is a gift of God, but must be approached in its proper context (marriage), aware of its proper ends and the powerful passions which attach to it. The desire for sex can become one which can overpower us, and I think we see that clearly in society as morals, laws and the very fabric society is now being dismantled to cater for sexual desire. Lust, if raised to the level of a master and a judge, quickly becomes a tyrant; when given free reign it will never be a servant and will eventually destroy. God gave us reason and virtue to help us control our passions, he gave us the Commandments and the Gospel to assist our reason and help us form our virtues, and we should take account of this. We must also remember that the greatest act of love the world has ever seen was not a physical act of intimacy between lovers but rather the sacrifice of the God-man on the cross. 

St Vincent's example is one of fortitude in the midst of tremendous suffering. Like Agnes he would not conform to the desires of his persecutors who wanted to wipe out his virtuous adherence to the Gospel by renouncing his faith. If only Vincent had conformed he would have had it all, they lamented. They tried persuasion, as they usually do: how happy and fulfilled he would be if he followed their way of life. Yet, they were not happy, they were ensnared in vice and greed. The faithful deacon said no, and so they inflicted pain: he will give in if we keep torturing him - we will wear him down, he will have no choice but to renounce his faith and then our consciences will be eased. But Vincent did not give in: it was not stubbornness, it was the grace and strength of God - Vincent's persecutors forgot that they were not just attacking a man, they were attacking God and he has ways and means to resist that attack. We are told in the account of his martyrdom that Vincent was serene in the midst of his sufferings - the Lord he loved was supporting him. And so he died, falling, not into the pit of his enemies, but into the arms of his Saviour.

In the coming months we in Ireland are going to face something of what Vincent faced. The ungodly fury of those who hate our Christian faith will be unleashed as they try to force us to endorse what we know to be wrong. First they will try to persuade, tell us that to be really Christian and kind we have to go along with them. If we resist that, they will turn on us, attack us, and who knows what after that. Vincent's example should inspire us to remain steadfast and serene. We cannot endorse what is wrong nor should we facilitate others in doing what is wrong. 

May these holy martyrs watch over us in these times, assist us their prayers, and come down from heaven to stand by our sides in the midst of tribulation.

Learning From St Sebastian: Words of Wisdom From St Ambrose

In our Office of Readings today, the feast of St Sebastian, we read from St Ambrose's commentary on Psalm 118 in which he praises the Milanese martyr and draws important lessons from his life, his faith and his heroic witness.  Here is the extract from the Office which, I think, will prove encouraging for us in these difficult times.

To enter the kingdom of God we must endure many tribulations. If there are many persecutions, there are many testings; where there are many crowns of victory, there are many trials of strength.  It is then to your advantage if there are many persecutors; among many persecutions you may more easily find a path to victory.

Take the example of the martyr Sebastian, whose birthday in glory we celebrate today.

He was a native of Milan.  At a time when persecution either had ceased or had not yet begun or was of a milder kind he realized that there was only one slight, if any, opportunity for suffering.  

He set out for Rome, where bitter persecutions were raging because of the fervor of the Christians. There he endured suffering; there he gained his crown. He went to the city as a stranger and there established a home of undying glory.  If there had been only one persecutor, he would not have gained a martyr’s crown.

The persecutors who are visible are not the only ones.  There are also invisible persecutors, much greater in number.  This is more serious.  

Like a king bent on persecution, sending orders to persecute to his many agents, and establishing different persecutors in each city or province, the devil directs his many servants in their work of persecution, whether in public or in the souls of individuals.  

Of this kind of persecution Scripture says: All who wish to live a holy life in Christ Jesus suffer persecution  “All” suffer persecution; there is no exception.  Who can claim exemption when  the Lord himself endured the testing of persecution?  

How many there are today who are secret martyrs for Christ, giving testimony to Jesus as Lord!  The Apostle knew this kind of martyrdom, this faithful witnessing to Christ; he said: This is our boast, the testimony of our conscience.

In times of great darkness, we are called to bring great light, the light of Christ which enlightens our souls. In days when men and women fall back into the barbarity which faith and civilization had pushed back, we are to re-civilize through our prophetic witness.  

"Crucified Again"

Here in Ireland not a day passes without someone in the media attacking the Catholic Church or Christian teaching. When I used to get The Irish Times I could always be sure that there would be at least one letter most days in the letters page denouncing the Catholic faith.  Things have got to the stage now where the media and our critics do not even bother to pretend to be objective or fair, they just pander their prejudices as if they were normal, good and true. As one Catholic involved in media told me during the weekend, now programme makers no longer call on orthodox Christians to balance out their discussions, they regard them as bigots and deem it right to exclude them from public discourse. Strangely in the last decade those of us who seek to remain Christian and practice our faith have got used to being the pariah in Irish society.

This antipathy against Christianity has grown in a climate where most Christians on this island have become apathetic about the faith. There are many reasons for this, and one of them has to be the failure of the Church in Ireland to catechize properly; the withdrawal of Church leaders to the trenches and the surrendering to fear of preaching the Gospel as Christ taught it lest it offend: such actions leading people to think that perhaps the professional Christians do not believe the very Gospel they are supposed to be teaching, so why should anyone? 

Why this reflection - you have heard it from me before? Well, it comes to mind as I reflect on what is happening to our brothers and sisters in the faith in the Middle East. Fr Z wrote a most disturbing piece yesterday revealing the true horror being brought down on the heads of Catholics and other Christians by Muslims in Iraq, Syria and now Lebanon. I would recommend you read it, but be prepared. When you see what other Christians are enduring for the sake of Jesus Christ and the faith it makes you ashamed to see how casual our approach to our faith is. 

In the face of what we have done to Christianity, our failures to stand up for it, live it, indeed in the face of our rebellion against its teachings, Christian men, women and children are being crucified in the streets. They are being beheaded, mutilated, shot because they will not renounce Christ. 

I find more Christianity in their refusal to dialogue, in their profession of the Gospel in the shedding of their blood than I do in all the pastoral talk which dominates Church life in this country and in the west. There are no trenches for the Christians living under the sword of Islam. What would they make of our public embarrassment of Christian teaching? What would they think of Catholics who regularly attack the faith, belittle its faithful pastors and religious, or shrug their shoulders when called to embrace Christ because we are all going to heaven anyway? Well, we have forgotten that heaven is hard won: the Christians of the Middle East are winning it by their agonizing deaths, we cannot expect to get it with our presumption, our fear or our apathy.

And in the face of this suffering we remain silent. Most of those in the upper echelons of the Church remain silent. There is something rotten in the Church today, something wrong. I think the only ones who are getting it right are those who today hang from their crosses on the streets of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. God help us should we ever face them in eternity. What has happened to St John Paul's New Evangelisation? Where is the courage he displayed in the face of fear and persecution? Is it really the case, as someone said to me, that we now need to face a persecution to force us to realize what really matters, to blow us out of our apathy? I hope not. 

Christ is being crucified again. 

The Ebola Sisters

The Servants of God, Srs Floralba Rondi, Clarangela Ghilardi, Danielangela Sorti, Dinarosa Belleri, Annelvira Ossoli, Vitarosa Zorza

The outbreak of the Ebola virus in west Africa is causing concern in Europe. The British parliament discussed it last week and the Prime Minister had to reassure the British that they should be okay. Of course the poor people of west Africa are not so fortunate. The virus is spreading faster than medical agencies can control it. We must remember the victims in our prayers, and perhaps sending a few quid to some of the charities that are dealing with it might be a good idea. Of course prudence should dictate as to who should be supported since some of these agencies are also promoting abortion in the Third World.

In the midst of this suffering heroic men and women are working in to save lives or help people die with dignity and in peace. We should also remember them. When I think of such selfless people I remember the heroic service of the six Palazzolo sisters who sacrifice their lives in the service of the sick and dying during the Ebola outbreak in the Congo in 1995. Their Cause for beatification has been opened.

The six sisters, Srs Floralba Rondi, Clarangela Ghilardi, Danielangela Sorti, Dinarosa Belleri, Annelvira Ossoli, Vitarosa Zorza were working in Kikwit in the Congo, when the virus broke out. Faced with the horrors of the epidemic, each of the sisters had to make a personal decision. Drawing on the example and charism of their founder Blessed Luigi Palazzolo, they reiterated their dedication to the poor and the sick, for whom they were founded, and accepted their inevitable death in order to care for the sick and dying. Being highly contagious, each of the sisters contracted it and died agonizing deaths between the 25th April and 28th May 1995. Their Cause is being promoted as a martyrdom, martyrs of charity.

May they intercede for all those suffering from the virus, and all who serve them.

Such Joy!

Have a good look at these photographs and ask yourself: what is going on here?

Perhaps you might think that the first is of two friends, one a soldier, posing for a photograph on a fine sunny day.  And the second is of a worker in the fields, a handsome young man, enjoying his youth and the fresh air, a young man invigorated by his work.  He is relaxed, his eyes full of joy and peace; his hands are leaning on his hips.  In the first photograph he is laughing.

If you have seen these photographs before you will know the story behind them.  If not, then time for an explanation.  The young man in both photographs is twenty-five year old priest Martin Martinez Pascual.  The day is 18th August 1936, and a few moments after these photographs were taken the young priest was martyred for his Catholic faith.  The photographer was Hans Gutmann, a supporter of the Republican cause and he wanted to capture the priest's last moments.  Fr Martin was fully aware that he was about to die, and yet he stood calmly beside one who was about to shoot him and smile for the camera.

Martin was born on the 11th November 1910 in Valdealgorfa in Aragon, Spain.  He discerned a vocation to the priesthood at an early age and entered the seminary in Belchite. In 1934 he joined the Diocesan Worker Priests of the Sacred Heart, and was ordained on the 15th June 1935.  He was appointed Prefect of St Joseph's College, Murcia and professor at the seminary in San Fulgencio.  

The following summer, he went to his home for his vacation when the persecution of Catholics began in July 1936.  He hid out in a friend's house, and later moved to a cave for safety.  In August he heard that his father had been arrested, so he left his place of refuge to try to save him.  On the 18th August Martin went before the committee that was examining Senor Martinez and there they discovered that the son was a priest. He was immediately arrested, and that same day brought out and shot with other priests who had also been captured.   Just before he was executed, a moment after those photographs were taken, he was asked if he wanted to turn away so he would not see the guns.  He refused, saying he wanted to ask God's forgiveness for those who were killing him and to give them his blessing". 

Blessed Martin was beatified on the 1st October 1995. His feast day is the 18th August.

Why did I choose to share this with you?  Look into his eyes, see the joy.  That is the grace of martyrdom. Do not be afraid!

Still The Age of Martyrs

 

An interesting statistic for you: it emerges from Cardinal Timothy Dolan's last speech as President of the USCCB (here is a link to a story dealing with it, albeit with a different emphasis).  The Cardinal pointed out that in the thirteen years of the 21st Century already about 1 million Christians have been martyred for their faith.  That is on average about 76,923 every year.  It seems the modern Age of Martyrs continues.  So far the 20th century, the "most enlightened", holds the record of the number of Christians put to death for their faith. Will this new century surpass its predecessor's bloody legacy?  Christianity is the world's most persecuted religion, a fact much denied or ignored by our secularists and the media. 

 

As the Age of martyrs continues one wonders who will become the new persecutors?  Will current developments in Western society and recent legislation eventually lead to persecution as Christians in conscience cannot accept laws and situations that are immoral?  In some issues here there is already a form of persecution, but will it turn to a more traditional, less subtle form? 

The Broken Healer

 

I have been doing a little research on some of our new Beati - the martyrs of the Spanish Civil War.  Some of us Discalced Seculars joined up with some Daughters of Charity for a  Mass of Thanksgiving on Monday evening, so I was swotting in preparation. 

 

As you know 522 people were raised to the altars on Sunday (not without the usual controversy from secular sources) and while we applaud the beatification of such a large number, we cannot forget that 522 individuals were glorified for their individual witness to Christ and the Gospel.  Lest we get distracted by such a great crowd of witnesses, it is good for us to learn about the individual stories, the individual heroism, the individual overcoming the fear of death and generously offering his or her life for love of Christ and his Church.

 

Today I would like to share with you the life story of one of our Discalced martyrs, Blessed Angel of St Joseph.  My American readers may be happy to hear that Angel lived in the US for a few years, in Tucson, Arizona.  His life is very interesting and offers inspiration not only to those who struggling for faith in an age of disbelief, but also for those who may be battling with personal problems, particularly personality problems.

 

Blessed Angel was born Juan Fort Ruis in Espulga de Francoli near Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain, on the 20th October 1896.  He was the only child of his parents, and shortly after his birth his father abandoned his wife and the new-born.   He had a difficult childhood and various personality problems emerged as he grew up.  He was restless, impulsive and inconsistent and these traits remained with him throughout his life making that life very difficult for him and for others.  That said he was not a bad child, he possessed a profound goodness and a tremendous generosity for others.  These virtues endeared him to others and allowed them to endure his personal difficulties.

 

Juan trained as a baker from an early age but following visits to the Carmelites in Tarragona he began to discern a religious vocation.  When he was twenty-two he entered the Discalced and began formation as a Brother taking the name Br Angel of St Joseph.  In 1916 he was sent to the United States to work in the parish of Santa Cruz in Tucson, Arizona.  While there he made his first profession in 1921 and his Solemn Profession in 1924. 

 

While in Santa Cruz he found he had a charism for working with young people, and so he made time to minister to them in midst of his other duties.  He formed a youth group under the patronage of St Joseph, built a hall for them use for their meetings and founded an annual magazine for them.  These years were very happy ones for Angel.  In 1934 he returned to Spain, assigned to serve as porter in the monastery in Tarragona.  He threw himself into his duties and was soon known throughout the city for his joy and enthusiasm.  Everyone knew Br Angel and he was held in high regard - a fame which would actually cost him his life. 

 

When the Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936 the Prior of the community took the decision to abandon the monastery and hide the friars in various locations throughout the city.  Angel was safely hidden in a warehouse.  However, given his restless nature and his sense of duty to the community, Angel could not sit still, he had to be out doing something, helping someone.  Blessed Fr Vicente of the Cross, a priest of the community, had found refuge with a member of the Secular Order, and on the 25th July Angel made his way to the house with news that the militia were to carry out a house inspection.  Unfortunately, though in lay clothes, Angel was well known in the city, and so he came to the attention of a patrol and they were spying on him and following him every time he left the warehouse.  On that visit to Fr Vicente he was under surveillance, and as soon as he arrived at the house, the patrol apprehended both friars.  Angel and Fr Vicente were taken to the headquarters of the Workers Party of Marxist Unity.  It was decided that the friars should be transferred to a prison ship. On the day of the transfer, however, the 31st July, the hatred of their captors was too much to be contained and so as the two were being led to prison they were taken under a railway bridge and shot.  Their bodies lay for three days before being found and buried in a common grave.

 

Angel struggled with his personal demons but did so in the context of his faith and of his sense of duty to his brothers in the Order and the young people he served.   A true son of St Teresa he found the humble place, the place of simple service, and he found joy there.  His death was tragic and some may say that his restless nature, his impetuousness, led to his martyrdom.  However it was also his fame - he was well known as porter of the monastery, and well loved among the faithful.  Like Christ he could not hide from those who hated him and like the Lord he embraced the sacrifice that was awaiting him.   Among the many lessons we can learn from Blessed Angel one of them must be this: that we cannot run away from being known to be Christian, we cannot hide, nor seek to slip into the crowd and remain anonymous so we can be left alone to live our lives privately.  We cannot try to hide our faith by surrendering to the values of the world, we must stand apart, we must be the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and as Jesus said, a light cannot be hidden, it must be seen in order to dispel the darkness.

A Friend To Help us In These Times

St Toribio Romo

 

Yesterday I was talking to a young Mexican woman who was telling me all about her great-grand uncle.  He was a priest in Mexico in the 1920s, a man devoted to the poor and to immigrants in particular.  For his fruitful priestly ministry, and his obvious holiness, he was murdered by anti-clericals in 1928 during the Cristero war.  He was canonised in the year 2000 and today is his feast day.  He is St Toribio Romo.

 

Today is the feast of holy Mexicans put to death for their allegiance to Jesus Christ and his Catholic Church.  The group is headed by the saintly pastor St Christopher Magallanes and consists of twenty-two priests and three laymen of various ages who were martyred between 1915 and 1937.   Speaking about them at a St Genesius prayer group last night, I was asked how Catholics could martyr other Catholics.  Well, the Catholics that were responsible for the martyrdom were lapsed Catholics: men and women who gave their first allegiance to an ideology that not only contradicted Christianity, but was deeply antagonised by it.  As these lapsed failed to convert their coreligionists, and as their hatred of their former faith grew, in their anger they saw only one way of dealing with the stubborn - persecute them even to the point of killing them. There are none so bitter and antagonistic towards the Catholic faith than lapsed Catholics. 

 

The parallels with our current situation are all too clear. Among the lapsed in Ireland there is the potential for persecution, although if one occurs it will not be as obvious as the Mexican and Spanish persecutions - it would be more subtle and insidious.  Sneakily, as only the Irish can do it. Our national virtues are great, but our national vices are dreadful.

 

A word on St Toribio.  Born in 1900, he entered the seminary at the age of twelve - not unusual at the time. He made a deep impression on his fellow seminarians and formators - he combined a devout soul with a mischievous personality.  He was ordained in 1922 and threw himself into the pastoral ministry.  As I said above he had a deep concern for the poor, and he was dedicated to the work of catechesis - that was enough to make him an enemy of the state.

 

On a personal level, Toribio had his trials.  He seemed to have experienced a dark night of the soul, revealing that he was troubled at times.  That said, he was a priest of intense devotion, making time for prayer and devotions.  He had a tender love for Our Lady, often leading the Rosary in public gatherings.  The centre of his life was the Holy Mass and the time he spent in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.  When persecution heightened in 1927, these activities began to be curtailed as he found it more difficult to find a place to say Mass. 

 

In that year, 1927, he was sent to a factory in Tequila for safety, and there he lived with his sister Maria and his brother Roman.  A quiet life of prayer, secret priestly ministry and uncertainty followed.  On the 22nd February 1928 Toribio sensed that danger was coming.  Fearing for his brother's safety, he sent him away.  Three days later, after a hard day of work, he got to his bed at 4am.  As he was sleeping, at about 5am, government troops arrived and broke into the house.  As Toribio jumped up from his bed, the soldiers cried out "Here is a priest, kill him!"  Toribio responded, "Here I am, but do not kill me."  The soldiers had no mercy, but shot the young priest.  His sister had arrived at this time and Turibio fell into her arms.  As he lay dying, Maria encouraged him: "Courage, Fr Toribio. Merciful Jesus receive him! Long live Christ the King!"

 

The martyred body of St Toribio laid out before burial

 

St Toribio and his companions offer us Catholics an example of hope and courage in difficult times. While we can never trust other people, we can always trust God, and so in these times we must reaffirm our faith in Christ.  As the Scripture tells us - he is in our midst and as we are called by his name, he will never desert us (cf. Jer 14:9).  We have friends in heaven: St Toribio, like all the saints, is a friend to help us in these times.

Agnes, Vibiana And.......Christoph?

Today, as you know, is the feast of St Agnes, virgin and martyr, often associated with sheep since her name, Agnes is close to the word “agnus”, the Latin for lamb; in fact her name is derived from the Greek “hagia” “pure or holy”, from which we also get Saint.   The connection has led to her virtues, virginity and death being compared with those virtues of innocence and purity symbolised by the lamb; and of course we cannot forget the connection with the Lamb of God in whose passion she participated through her martyrdom. 

Agnes, like St Lucy, was young, and she is also associated with littleness – childlikeness.  It is believed that she was young when martyred, perhaps as young as twelve, and so we see in her that spiritual childhood Jesus often spoke about, but married with courage and determination to remain faithful to Christ.   She has been venerated as a patron of young people, particularly invoked to help the young live chaste lives.   Well, in an age when the young are being ensnared into promiscuity, Agnes is a worthy intercessor.  Young people struggle with their sexuality – their hormones are all over the place, so chastity can be difficult.  Unfortunately there are many distractions and temptations which assail them and many of our young fall.

A friend of mine was telling me about the sex classes his seven year old nephew is attending in school in England – already the child knows all about sex and how babies are made.  Soon enough he will be putting condoms on bananas and taught to chant the liberal secular mantras associated with the sexual revolution.  It is no wonder children begin to experiment and end up in trouble.  The number of young people suffering from STDs and STIs is increasing fast and at this stage, listening to some doctors and sexual health workers, it is expected that many teenagers will have some disease or infection – it is almost a norm.  Of course, contrary to what we are being told, and despite the wide availability of contraception, teenage pregnancies are on the increase and so many young girls resort to the abortion clinics.  One would almost think there was a conspiracy of promiscuity in order to keep these clinics in business.

Organisations like Pure In Heart are doing the best they can to help young people resist the temptations and to live fulfilled, chaste lives.  They are worth checking out and promoting.  Very much in the spirit of St Agnes, the members of Pure In Heart teach about true love, chaste love, seeing sexuality in the context, not only of purity of heart and life, but also in the context of commitment and life-long love – in marriage.  And far from being prudes, as some would paint them, members of the organisation are some of the happiest, joyful and serene teenagers you’ll meet.

As I’m on the subject of a virgin martyr, I would like to draw your attention to another Saint who is not as well known as Agnes – St Vibiana.   First of all here is an interesting article on her.  She is virgin martyrs whose body has been enshrined for last 120 years in the Cathedral in Los Angeles.  Originally in a glass casket above the altar in the old Cathedral which was dedicated to her, she now lies in a marble tomb in an alcove in the crypt of the new Cathedral. 

Little is known of St Vibiana, and she is sometimes confused with St Bibiana.   A martyr of the 3rd century, her remains were discovered in the catacombs on the Via Appia in 1853, together with an inscription which announced “To the soul of the innocent and pure Vibiana”.  As happened in the 19th century, her relics were entrusted to the bishop of Los Angeles as a gift from the Holy See to the people of the diocese, and so, like many Italians, she took the boat to America and is now a “native” of the Archdiocese.  I believe she is the patron saint of the diocese.   

The article reflects on the fact she is, for the most part, unknown, in a city where fame, and the desire to be famous, rules.  Los Angeles is the “spiritual home” of celebrity – Hollywood is there, and so are thousands of men and women eking out a living in the hope of one day “making it big” – few do.  St Vibiana offers us another value, a Christian virtue – hiddenness.   St Paul speaks of this in his Letter to the Colossians, of being “hidden with Christ in God”, and it is very much part of the virtue of humility.  Unknown on earth, Vibiana, like many others, is famous in heaven – known to God, and in comparison with Warhol’s fifteen minutes of fame, it is a far better way of life. 

In a way this hiddenness allows us to be ourselves and to grow in holiness.  Those who seek fame realise that they need to offer the world an image, something that stands out from the ordinary, and so they may have to assume a mask, another personality, indeed at times another life, in order to catch the camera’s attention.  If fame is achieved they well have to live this new persona for life and while it may seem exciting at the start, soon it is a burden and eventually the person may not know who they are at all.  The greatest actors are those who are themselves in their ordinary lives – they do not seek fame, they just enjoy their work and go home to their families to live as normal a life as they can.   It is no coincidence that Vibiana is in the city of the stars.

The best fame is, of course, holiness – to be known for a saintly life and even a heroic death.  That fame tends to emerge from hiddenness, as St Paul explains in the Letter to the Colossians – those who are hidden with Christ in God are revealed when Christ is revealed.  Yesterday I found out that one of the members of the White Rose resistance movement in Munich had been canonised by the Orthodox Church.  Alexander Schmorrell, one of the leaders of the group and a member of the Orthodox Church, was recognised as a New Martyr last year.   Those young people certainly displayed great courage in their resistance to the Nazis, and that resistance had its source in the Christian faith. 

The two more famous members of the group, Sophie Scholl and her brother, Hans, were fans of Blessed John Henry Newman and other Catholic writers, though they were Lutheran. In fact evidence has emerged that they were intending to convert to Catholicism.  Indeed when they were in prison, they were making moves to be received into the Church, but a Lutheran minister persuaded them not to for their mother’s sake: as devout Lutheran it was bad enough for her to see her children executed, but to hear that they had become Catholics and left the Lutheran community would have destroyed her.  In charity they decided not to.  However I believe they died Catholics, and while they were already baptised in the Lutheran church, taking the theological cue from the concept of “baptism by desire”, I think they were Catholics already through desire.

That now raises an interesting question – could Sophie and Hans be considered for canonisation?  I have little doubt that certainly Sophie would have been put forward if she had formally been received: her life and courage is like that of many of our World War II martyrs.  She was a young woman of profound faith, innocence, goodness and joy: all marks of her holiness.  Now the Church has no authority to declare non-Catholics saints, but if the Church could prove martyrdom in their case, would it be possible to examine the evidence and see if Sophie and Hans were in communion with the Church by desire?  That’s an interesting one for the canon lawyers. 

There is another member, however, who offers us an easier task – their companion in death, Christoph Probst.  Christoph was a member of the movement, but at a remove since he was a married man with children and he had to provide for his family and be prudent so as not to expose them to any danger. Born in 1919, Christoph grew up in an artistic and academic family.  His father was married twice, his second wife being Jewish, and so Christoph was very much opposed to the Nazis anti-semitic agenda.  After compulsory military service, he began to study medicine in order to be of service to the sick.  When he was 21 he married Herta Dohrn, a young Catholic woman, and it was through her that he came to learn about Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular.  She was a devout young woman, and soon he was being led to faith.  They had three children, the last being born just before his arrest.

As a member of the White Rose, Christoph did not write any of the letters but designed the format for the seventh, and when he was arrested he was found with a draft of this letter on him.  In his trial he pleaded for clemency for the sake of his family, but the judge sentenced him to death.  When in prison, Christoph asked to be baptised into the Catholic Church, and he was received the day before his execution.  He died, by guillotine, with Sophie and Hans on the 22nd February 1942.  His remains are buried beside theirs in Munich, outside the prison where they died.  

Given that he was a Catholic when he died, and already on the way to conversion in the months leading up to his arrest, Christoph poses no problems canonically.  If martyrdom could be proved in his case, then glorification would offer the Church a wonderful example of courage and prudence: Christoph was doing the right thing, resisting an evil regime, yet also conscious of his duties to his family, and so sought a virtuous balance between the two.  Too often martyrdom can be seen a foolhardy thing, where the martyr has, in a sense, to deny family in order to offer his or her life for Christ, as with St Thomas More, and that is the case.  Christoph offers us another example: he embraced his death but also sought to do what he could to provide for his family – his plea for clemency was not a cowardly act.

I think we should look at Christoph’s life and see if something can be done.  And if nothing comes of it, well what harm: he still remains one of the great heroes of the Church and one of Germany’s finest sons.

Christianity: A Public, Not A Private Faith

St John Wang Kuixin and his cousin St Joseph Wang Kuiju

Last Monday we celebrated the feast of the martyrs of China – a group of 120 men and women and children who were put to death for their Catholic faith between 1648 and 1930.  With such a large group we might be tempted to forget that each one of these martyrs has a personal story and made an individual decision to choose Christ and the Church knowing that it would mean death.  Among the martyrs are members of families arrested en masse for their faith and put to death in various ways. 

Today is the anniversary of the martyrdom of one of these martyrs, St John Wang Kuixin, whose martyrdom resonates with what is going on in Western society today.

St John was born in Qi County in Hebei Province in the north of China in 1875.  He was a devout Catholic who sought to live his faith as well as he could.  By the age of twenty-five he was married with children, serving his family humbly and passing on the Catholic faith to them.  In 1900 the Boxer rebellion broke out.  The Boxers were a nationalist/religious group who were trying to rid China of foreign influences including Christianity.  A fierce persecution was waging throughout China with countless Catholics being put to death by the Boxers.  Aware of the threat to their families John and his cousin Joseph Wang Kuiju (born 1863), also a fervent Catholic, decided to leave their native village and settle in another one where there was a large Catholic population. 

Loading their meagre possessions on wagons, the cousins and their families had no problem leaving and reached the safety of the other village.  Having left some stuff in their native place, the two cousins returned to collect them.  As they were on their way a heavy shower prevented their continuing the journey, and so they found shelter at an inn.  During a conversation in the inn it was discovered that the cousins were Catholic and the two had to defend their faith as the other guests were attacking their religion.  In the course of the debate, someone sent for the Boxers and as soon as they arrived, they beheaded Joseph on the spot.   John tried to escape, but he was caught and, for some reason, not killed.  He was arrested and brought before a local magistrate.

The magistrate seemed to be a kindly sort and he wanted to spare the young man’s life.  He urged John not to speak about his faith: he should keep it to himself: that way he would not offend anyone and his life would be spared.  But John could not accept such conditions – to hide his faith, to consign it to his “private life” was not what Christ asked his disciples to do.  In fact, for John, to do so was to deny Christ and the faith.  John refused.  With great reluctance, the magistrate handed him over to the Boxers.  On the 14th July 1900 John was put to death, invoking the Holy Name of Jesus as he went to his execution.

John and his cousin Joseph were canonised together by Blessed Pope John Paul II in the year 2000.

St John was asked to do what we are being told to do by our secular governments – to consign our faith to the private sphere and not allow it influence our public words and actions.  Catholic politicians, President John F Kennedy of the USA foremost among them, publicly disavow their Catholic faith and reassure the powers that be that they will not allow their “personal faith” interfere with their decisions.  We have Catholic politicians voting for abortion, civil partnership, gay marriage, euthanasia even though these contradict the moral teaching of the Church in which they claim to be in communion. And then they have the audacity to present themselves as Catholics in good standing and arrive at the altar to receive the Eucharist – and, unfortunately, clergy facilitate this by silence and giving them Holy Communion. 

St John Wang Kuixin’s martyrdom reveals the hypocrisy at the heart of this “double-think” or spiritual schizophrenia.  He also offers us an example of how we should act in the face of secularism’s pressure to make us deny our faith in public and tries to rid the public square of the Christian voice. 

Martyred By The Mafia

Among the decrees approved by the Holy Father last week, as the Venerable Fulton Sheen took the limelight, another great witness to faith was recognised: Fr Pino Puglisi.  Fr Pino was murdered in 1993 by the Mafia in Sicily - his murder has been recognised as martyrdom by the Church and, I am open to correction on this, he will become the first victim of the Mafia to be beatified.

Fr Pino was born in Palermo, Sicily, on the 15th September 1937.  Entering the seminary in 1953 he was ordained priest in 1960.  He was appointed as curate to a couple of parishes, was chaplain to a congregation of sisters, and worked as a teacher.  He had a particular charism for working with young people.

At this time the Second Vatican Council was in full swing, and Fr Pino took a great interest in the proceedings.  Like Karol Wojtyla in Krakow, he made sure that the people in his care received the documents from the Council and were informed as to what was really going on, as opposed to the emergence of the "spirit of Vatican II interpretation". 

In 1970 he was appointed pastor of a small village, Godrano, a village torn apart by vendettas.  In the eight years he served there he managed to bring warring families together and, by the time he left, reconciliation and peace had been restored.   He worked with a number of movements in the Church including Catholic Action, Teams of Our Lady, and groups working for peace and civil rights in the face of Mafia dominance.

In 1990 he was appointed pastor of San Gaetano in Brancaccio, and here his work with the victims of the Mafia intensified.  He denounced the crimes of the Mafia and the collusion between politicians and the Mafia.  He was soon receiving threats and intimidations as the Mafia tried to silence him.  He refused to browbeaten.  On the 15th September 1993, his 56th birthday, Fr Pino was killed by the Mafia in his rectory. His killers were eventually found, put on trial and convicted; it emerged that the priest's ministry was the motivation for the killing.

Fr Pino's death was seen as a martyrdom by the people of Sicily.  His Cause was opened in 1999, and last week Pope Benedict formally recognised him as a martyr.  We await the announcement of the date of his beatification.

Here's a video of a brief interview with Fr Pino in Italian:

"To Die For Christ...Is To Live"

St Christopher Magallanes (second row, second from the right) and Companions.

Today is the feast of St Christopher Magallanes and Companions, the first martyrs from the Mexican persecution of the Church to be canonised.  I will continue my reflections on the martyrs of the Spanish Civil War in a moment, but we need also heed the lessons to be learned from the Mexican conflict.

Mexico was different from Spain in that faithful Catholics took up arms against their persecutors in the Cristero movement.  None of the martyrs whose feast we celebrate today were involved in that movement, but some of the beatified Mexican martyrs were, most notably the fourteen year old Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio.    The question which one might ask oneself is: can we take up arms against our persecutors?  In terms of the Spanish Civil War most historians seem to imply that we Catholics can't - we just lie down, support the Republicans and then take the bullet they have reserved for us.   Can we defend ourselves against martyrdom?

Well the answer to that is yes, we can, within certain limits - limits laid down by the Just War theory.  We have the right to defend ourselves, our family and our faith, but must do so within ethical limits and only as a means of defence.  We cannot run headlong into martyrdom - if it comes upon us and there is no means of escape, we embrace it, but we have a responsibility to preserve our lives, but not, of course, denying Christ or his teachings to do so.    The rising in the Vendee following the French Revolution was one such effort, as was the Cristero movement - though I'm sure ethicists will argue back and forth.

Our martyrs today were not involved in the armed struggle against the persecuting government of Mexico, though one of them, St Christopher Magallanes, was accused of stirring it up.  The group consists of twenty-two priests and three laymen, all killed simply because they were Catholic, and indeed apostolic in their labours in the vineyard.  St Christopher was a most remarkable priest, full of initiatives to help the poor of his parish and beyond. 

Back to the martyrs of the Spanish Civil War: in my last post I spoke about the canonised martyrs of Turon, today I would like to draw your attention to another Saint-Martyr, St Jaime Hilario, also a De La Salle brother.

St Jaime was a most attractive person: he was dedicated to Christ, to his vocation and to the children he served as a teacher, but he also had many obstacles to overcome even before he was called to martyrdom.  He was born Manuel Barban Cosan in the foothills of the Pyrenees in northern Spain, in the village of Enviny on the 2nd January 1898.   He was a rather serious young boy who lived his faith with great earnestness.  When he was twelve he had made up his mind to become a priest, and at that young age entered the minor seminary.  While he was there he developed problems with his hearing, and so it was decided that he could not go forward for ordination

Disappointed, Manuel returned home to his family, but did not lose his hope of giving his life to God.  He believed that God did not want him to be a priest, his rejection from seminary revealed that, so he must try and see if God wanted him in the consecrated life as a brother.  He approached the De La Salle brothers, and after careful consideration the superiors invited him to enter the congregation.  He was thrilled, and so on 24th February 1917 he entered the novitiate in Irun.   It was where God wanted him:  professing his vows, he began work as a teacher and served for sixteen years in the classroom.

His hearing problems did not go away, however, and he was finding it increasingly difficult to perform his duties in the classroom.  His superiors made the painful decision (for Jaime) to take him out of teaching and appointed him the gardener at the congregation's house of formation in San Jose, Tarragona.  The move was difficult - some would say that it was a humiliation, but Jaime, already walking the path of holiness, embraced this sacrifice and threw himself into this humble work, living each day with joy and serenity as his hearing gradually worsened.

In July 1936, given a short break, Br Jaime was making his way home for a family visit when the Civil War broke out.   He never reached Enviny: recognised as a brother, he was arrested by Republicans  and jailed.  In December he was brought to Tarragona and there transferred onto a prison ship where he joined a number of other De La Salle brothers.  Conditions on the ship were not too good, and aware of what lay ahead, Jaime prepared for death. 

On the 15th January 1937 a "trial" was held in which Br Jaime was condemned as a teacher of the Catholic faith.  While he insisted that he was only a gardener, he also confirmed that he was a religious and made it clear that he was not going to abandon either his vocation or his faith.  He was condemned to death and the sentence was carried out the next morning in a local cemetery known as the Mount of Olives.  His last words were: "To die for Christ, my young friends, is to live".    Two volleys missed him: terrified, the executioners fled - their commander, however, had no such fear.  Walking up to Br Jaime he shot him at close range, discharged five bullets, killing him. 

Jaime was beatified on the 29th April 1990, and canonised in the same ceremony as his brothers, the Martyrs of Turon, on the 21st November 1999.