After praying the Angelus this Sunday, Pope Francis warned that today we are also living a “time of martyrdom,” more than in the first centuries, since many in different parts of the world suffer persecution because of their faith in Jesus.
“Today the Roman Protomartyrs are remembered. We too live in a time of martyrdom, more so than in the first centuries. In various parts of the world, many of our brothers and sisters suffer discrimination and persecution because of their faith, thus fertilizing the Church,” said the Holy Father.
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“Others then face martyrdom ‘with white gloves’. Let us support them and let ourselves be inspired by their testimony of love for Christ,” he added.
On other occasions during his pontificate, Pope Francis has referred to martyrdom “with white gloves”, to denounce that many Christians are persecuted and discriminated against “in an elegant way”, without going to blood.
The Roman Protomartyrs
Today, June 30, the Catholic Church remembers the Holy Protomartyrs of the Holy Roman Church, who died during the first persecution in history, organized against the Catholic Church in the second half of the 1st century.
They suffered terrible torments and gave their lives just to be Christians, followers of Jesus. That is why the Church has granted them the title of “protomartyrs”, that is, they are the first martyrs or first witnesses.
Pope Francis: May the Sacred Heart of Jesus touch the hearts of those who want war
Pope Francis also made wishes that “on this last day of June, we implore the Sacred Heart of Jesus to touch the hearts of those who want war, so that they may be converted to projects of dialogue and peace.”
“Brothers and sisters, let us not forget the martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar and many other places where much is suffered because of war!” he urged.
Although the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on June 7, the Church dedicates this entire month to celebrating it, because it was in June 1675 that Jesus himself asked Saint Mary Margaret Alacoque to promote devotion to his Heart .
Walter Sanchez Silva
I have been a husband since 2008. My wife and I have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before he was born. Since I joined ACI Prensa in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Cologne, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and of Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the Family synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Synodality, in 2023. I closely follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers persecution from the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as current ecclesiastical events in the region.