Martyrdom Is Now “Ecumenical” – Vatican Cardinal

Ecumenism Cardinal Kurt Koch has called it a “narrow confessional vision” that Saint Augustin, Saint Cyprian and the whole Catholic Church do not recognize as martyrs heretics and schismatics who die for their convictions.

Talking at the Engelberg Forum, Switzerland, Koch said that this understanding was “fortunately” overcome by the church of the Council (Cath.ch, June 25).

Koch points out that Paul VI canonized in 1964 the “martyrs of Uganda”, allegedly including some Anglicans and that John Paul II recognized “ecumenical martyrs” in Tertio millenio adveniente (1994) and in Ut unum sint (1995).

However, according to the Catholic Church, martyrdom is not about dying a heroic death for a just cause or a personal conviction [which is honorable], but specifically sacrificing one’s life for the Catholic and Apostolic Faith.

Picture: Kurt Koch, © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk, CC BY-NC-SA, #newsBeqbrlinoq