Pope says more martyrs now than during the first centuries

15 April, 2013 - Holding out the figure of the Church’s first martyr, St. Stephen, Pope Francis said on Monday said that “the age of martyrs is not yet over, even today we can say, in truth, that the Church has more martyrs now than during the first centuries.” His remarks came in a homily at a morning Mass at his residence of St. Martha in the Vatican, which was attended by the staff and employees of the Vatican’s telecommunications and internet offices. The Pope was reflecting on the calumnies and false charges to which St. Stephen was subject before the Sanhedrin for his witness to Christ as narrated in the Acts of the Apostles. Regarding calumny as worse than sin, as it is born of hatred and aims to destroy the work of God, the Pope noted that Stephan did not return falsehood with falsehood and was in the peace and truth of Christ. The Holy Father noted that today the Church has many men and women who are maligned through calumny, who are persecuted, who are killed in hatred of Jesus, in hatred of the faith: some are killed because they teach the catechism, others are killed because they wear the cross ... Today, in many countries, they are maligned, they are persecuted ... they are our brothers and sisters who are suffering today, in this age of the martyrs". Repeating again that “the age of martyrs is not yet over,” the Pope said, “the Church has more martyrs now than during the first centuries".