Different global organizations indicate that more than 70 million Christians have been slain for their beliefs since the period of Christ’s suffering. These organizations assert that more than 45 million of these killings occurred in the 20th century; additional reports suggest that as many as 250 Christians are targeted and killed each day.

For the majority of Christians in the Western world, these statistics are shocking yet affect us minimally. The media seldom emphasizes these atrocities, they are infrequently covered in national news, and rarely mentioned from the pulpit. Those of us in the West can freely worship Our Lord Jesus in public, attend Mass on a Sunday or even on weekdays, participate in Religious Education classes, join in Eucharistic adoration, partake in the Corpus Christi procession, have our children baptized, all without fear that any group or our government will prevent us from engaging in these practices. We inhabit a free society. However, there are Christians around the globe who face ostracism, persecution, and even death for striving to perform any of these actions we consider normal. They are the martyrs of our time.

Pope St. John Paul II (serving from 1978 to 2005) spoke about the martyrs of our era in his apostolic letter from November 1994, Tertio Millennio AdvenienteThe pontiff stated: “As we approach the conclusion of the second millennium, the Church has once more turned into a Church of martyrs. The persecution faced by believers — including priests, religious figures, and laity — has resulted in a significant occurrence of martyrdom across various regions of the globe. … This testimony [to Christ] must not fade from memory. … In our current century, martyrs have re-emerged, many of whom remain unnamed, like ‘unknown soldiers’ representing God’s noble cause. To the greatest extent possible, their testimonies ought to remain within the Church. … [The] local Churches must strive to protect the remembrance of those who endured martyrdom, collecting the essential documentation.”

Pope St. John Paul II is emphatically reminding us that these martyrs, these sacred individuals who sacrificed their lives for Our Lord Jesus Christ, should not be forgotten. The pope spoke about martyrs from the early Church: “By recognizing and honoring the sanctity of her sons and daughters, the Church rendered utmost reverence to God himself: in the martyrs, she honored Christ, who was the source of their martyrdom and holiness.” These initial martyrs are celebrated within the Church’s liturgy, with some names featured in our Eucharistic prayers and in the Litany of the Saints. We should not disregard or ignore those from our own times.

A multitude of nations across the globe today draw their anti-Christian policies from the playbook of Roman practices in the second and third centuries. During that time, Romans persecuted Christians for their choice to follow Jesus Christ, whom they perceived as a political menace to their empire. He was detained, charged, underwent a trial without defense or legitimate jury, and was subsequently crucified. The Romans desired for Christ’s early followers to repudiate him. They provided Christians with chances to renounce Jesus and the message of hope he delivered. When Christians refused, they faced imprisonment, torture, and many ultimately became martyrs. If a Christian acknowledged their faith and somehow survived, the Church regarded them as confessors. Today, however, a significant difference is that numerous countries forgo even the façade of a trial, instead choosing to imprison, torture, and even execute thousands of Christians solely for their adherence to Christ’s teachings. Those perishing for Christ ought to be recognized and remembered; among them are martyrs or even saints.

Steps to sainthood

Most individuals who are considered for sainthood by the Holy Mother Church undergo the challenging canonization process, which includes being recognized as a servant of God, then venerable, then blessed, and ultimately a saint. Initially, the candidate is evaluated to confirm if they demonstrated a life of heroic virtue, encompassing the cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice, along with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. An extensive investigation of the individual is carried out at the diocesan level. If the findings are favorable and the Holy See has no objections, the individual is designated as a servant of God. Following a thorough Vatican assessment, if the pope concludes that the person’s life exemplified heroic virtue, then they may be proclaimed venerable. To advance further, two miracles are necessary—one for beatification and another for canonization. Being classified as a martyr may forgo the miracle requirement for beatification.

Martyrdom and holiness

Martyrdom serves as a pathway to sainthood within the Catholic Church; specifically, a Catholic Christian opts to die rather than renounce Jesus Christ or the Gospels. Among the early adherents, numerous individuals sacrificed their lives for Jesus. A prominent illustration of a Christian willing to face death for Jesus is seen in the martyrdom of Bishop Thascius Cyprian. On September 14, 258, Bishop Cyprian — who would later be recognized as St. Cyprian — was ordered by the Romans to worship the Roman deities and thus repudiate Jesus. Cyprian responded, “I will not do so.” He was thereafter accused by Galerius Maximus, the governor of Carthage: “You have for a long time lived with your blasphemous beliefs, and you have drawn many others into a wicked conspiracy. You have positioned yourself as an adversary of the gods of Rome and our religious observances. … [The] most esteemed of Caesars have failed to persuade you to return to the practice of their sacred rites. You have been identified as the instigator and leader of these vile acts, and will consequently be presented as an example to all those who have followed you in your misdeed. By your blood the law shall be established.” Cyprian faced execution by the sword. Numerous early Christians would also meet death, for refusing to forsake or disavow Jesus, at the hands of those who despised the Faith. This was the archetypal example of martyrdom as it had been widely understood for centuries. The definition or perception of martyrdom would be altered due to the occurrences of World War II.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

During World War II, the Nazis targeted Christians ostensibly because they were deemed adversaries of the state; their beliefs and ethical principles contradicted and were viewed as a threat to the National Socialist regime. The Nazis detained Christians for various motives, including treason, associating with Jews, criticizing the government, and inciting public unrest. The Nazis intentionally sought not to elevate Christians to martyr status but treated and even penalized them as criminals. Hitler reportedly stated that individuals in his nation could either be German or Christian, but not both. Thousands of Christians were apprehended, incarcerated, and many sent to concentration camps. There, alongside other detainees, they endured severe mistreatment, often being killed or simply vanishing. Among those sent to concentration camps were thousands of clergy members such as Father Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941).

Father Kolbe, a priest from Poland, was taken captive by the Nazis in 1941 and confined in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. One evening, a detainee managed to flee from the camp. As punishment, the Nazis chose 10 inmates from the escapee’s block to be executed in the camp’s starvation bunker. One of those chosen begged for his life, stating he was a husband and father. Upon hearing this, Father Kolbe volunteered to take his place, and the Nazis agreed to his substitution. In the starvation bunker, where the only sustenance was their own urine, five of the men perished within a fortnight. The Nazis, eager for the remaining prisoners to succumb so the bunker could be utilized to starve others, administered carbolic acid to those still alive, including Father Kolbe. Father Maximilian Kolbe was executed and passed away on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 14, 1941. To erase any trace of the events that occurred, the corpses of the inmates were swiftly cremated. The prisoner who was saved by Father Kolbe survived to recount the story.

Father Kolbe’s path to canonization underwent all the necessary stages leading to beatification, which involved being recognized as a confessor and the confirmation of a miracle. He was beatified by Pope St. Paul VI (r. 1963-78) in 1971. In recognition of his selfless act of sacrificing his life for another, Kolbe received the honorary title, Martyr of Charity. By 1979, the remaining criteria for sainthood had been fulfilled, and canonization was set to proceed.

Pope St. John Paul II desired Father Kolbe’s canonization to unequivocally recognize him as a martyr. He requested a Vatican committee to assess whether Kolbe could be declared a martyr. The committee determined that Kolbe did not perish while defending the Faith or out of animosity toward the Faith — odium fidei — and therefore was not considered a martyr according to the conventional Church interpretation. John Paul held a different perspective. During the canonization ceremony on Oct. 10, 1982, the pope remarked: “Does not this death — embraced willingly, out of love for humanity — represent a specific realization of Christ’s words? Does not this death render Maximilian particularly akin to Christ — the paradigm of all martyrs — who sacrifices his own life on the cross for his brothers? Does not this death carry a unique and profound significance in our time? Does not this death serve as a particularly genuine testimony of the Church in today’s world? Thus, by virtue of my apostolic authority, I have declared that Maximilian Maria Kolbe, who was honored as a confessor after his beatification — shall now be honored as a martyr!”

From this point forward, martyrdom included not just Christians who would not renounce Jesus and were slain by those who harbored animosity toward the faith but also Christians who perished performing a virtuous deed or deeds due to their faith, stemming from their Christian conscience. Kolbe serves as an exemplary case, but there are additional instances. Several recently beatified saints illustrate how the definition of martyrdom is broadening within the Church. These individuals consist of: Archbishop Oscar Romero, Christian Brother James Miller, and Father Stanley Rother.

St. Oscar Romero

In 1977, Bishop Oscar Romero (1917-80) was appointed Archbishop of the significant Diocese of San Salvador in El Salvador. This appeared to be a strategically planned decision backed by the national government of that era. Romero was seen as an individual who would not challenge the ongoing repressive actions and strategies of the national government, and that he would manage any efforts by the populace to resist state-sponsored corruption. However, that is not what transpired. Romero emerged as a proponent, a voice, and a champion for the people.

In the years prior to his appointment as archbishop, he served as the bishop of a rural diocese, Santiago de María, where he observed the economic disparity and the harsh circumstances faced by the people caused by a ruthless government. These circumstances worsened due to a persistent conflict between the ruling government and guerrilla groups attempting to overthrow those in authority. Caught in the middle were the common citizens, who were plainly economically oppressed, living in destitution with salaries so low that survival became a struggle. Attempting to resist or revolt against these circumstances often led to execution by the military or police who were tightly connected to the government. Romero began to advocate against these situations which he perceived as undermining his country and its people. His public addresses and calls for reconciliation, along with demands for improvements to social conditions, were met with backlash both within and outside the Church, as well as in the media.

In October 1979, a military regime seized control of the government of El Salvador, leading to a sharp increase in atrocities against the population, which included mass killings, abductions, and wrongful imprisonments. Much like in Nazi Germany, individuals simply vanished. In response to the human rights violations, hatred, violence, and chaos, Archbishop Romero took action in every possible way and particularly condemned the military for their extreme brutality and atrocities. During one of his last addresses, using his diocese’s radio station, he directed his message to the military: “In the name of God, and in the name of this suffering populace, whose lamentations rise to heaven each day more fervently, I implore you, I urge you, I command you in the name of God. Cease the oppression.”

Two days following that address, Archbishop Romero was officiating Mass at the Divine Providence hospital in El Salvador. A gunman entered through a church door and with a single shot killed the archbishop. The assassin has never faced justice.

Both Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Francis declared Archbishop Romero a martyr, and he was canonized by Pope Francis on October 14, 2018. Archbishop Romero is the inaugural saint from El Salvador.

Holy Brother James Miller

Christian Brother James Miller (1944-82) was slain, shot multiple times, and passed away on Feb. 13, 1982, while engaged in humanitarian efforts, aiding with renovations at the Indian Center in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Starting in 1969, James dedicated himself to his community, the U.S.-based Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, initially in Nicaragua, from which he was removed due to the 1979 revolution, and subsequently two years later in Guatemala. In Huehuetenango, James and fellow brothers were instructing local young indigenous men in farming techniques. The state military sought young men for conscription and employed coercion to draft them. It was generally understood that those undergoing training at the Indian Center were exempt from military duty. Frequently, the young men at the center were summoned for service, necessitating the brothers to approach government officials and validate the boys’ exemption status. Such confrontations were often contentious and unpleasant — local officials resented the brothers’ involvement and their increasing sway in the indigenous community. There is a widespread belief that James was killed as a warning to the other brothers to refrain from engaging in governmental matters.

Previously, some of his associates had urged James to depart from Guatemala, but he replied, “my dedication to my calling continues to deepen in the realm of my efforts in Central America. I implore God for the grace and fortitude to serve Him loyally by my presence among the impoverished and marginalized of Guatemala. I entrust my life to his providence; I place my faith in him.” In July 2010, James was recognized as a servant of God, and on Nov. 8, 2018, Pope Francis proclaimed him a martyr, stating that James was killed out of hatred for the Faith. The beatification ceremony for Blessed James Miller took place in December 2019.

Saintly Father Stanley Rother

Another one of God’s children taken from us for his unwavering faith and commitment to his Savior was Father Stanley Rother. Father Rother (1935-81), hailing from the Diocese of Oklahoma, was sent as a missionary priest to the Indian mission in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, where he dedicated his service from 1968 until his death in 1981. Cherished by the residents of this rural area, he not only fulfilled his role as their pastor but, having grown up on a farm, also labored alongside the community in the fields. He played a key role in establishing a farmer’s cooperative, a credit union, and was vital in the construction of both a hospital and a radio station.

In 1980, civil unrest posed a significant threat to the nation, leading to the oppression of the Church. Congregants were abducted and murdered. Father Stanley faced grave risks, yet initially he chose to remain in the country, stating: “I am not ready to leave here just yet. … [If] it is my destiny that I should give my life here, so be it. … I don’t want to desert these people.” Eventually becoming a target, he returned to Oklahoma City in January 1981. However, prior to Easter that same year, he went back to his congregation. On July 28, 1981, Father Stanley encountered three individuals who had entered his sacristy unlawfully. He was shot twice and succumbed to his injuries. He was recognized as a martyr and was beatified in Oklahoma City on September 23, 2017.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, acting on behalf of Pope Francis during the beatification, stated, “The killing of Father Rother was a genuine and authentic martyrdom in odium fidei (in the animosity towards belief).” Father Stanley Rother is the inaugural U.S. born clergyman to be beatified.

The recognition of Sts. Kolbe and Romero, along with Blesseds Rother and Miller and several others as having perished in odium fidei points to how the Holy Fathers have opted to employ or describe martyrdom alongside what has been the customary practice.

D. D. Emmons writes from Pennsylvania.