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Martyrs

Martyrs are those who lay down their life or suffer death for the sake of their religion. In accordance with the primitive Greek sense of the word, i. c. a witness [ie Martyr], it is applied by Christian writers to such as suffer in testimony of the truth of the Gospel or its doctrines. The Christian Church has abounded with martyrs, and history is filled with surprising accounts of their singular constancy and fortitude under the most cruel torments that human nature is capable of suffering. The primitive Christians were accused by their enemies of paying a sort of divine worship to martyrs.

Perhaps the admiration and veneration which Christian martyrdom secures has had a great tendency to excite many to court martyrdom. The courage and constancy of the sufferers naturally enough won tho highest admiration from their brethren in the faith; and so it came to be held a special privilege to receive the martyr's benediction, to kiss his chains, to visit him in prison, or to converse with him; and ns it was held by the primitive Christians that the martyrs enjoyed very singular privileges with God, it came to be held also that their great and superabundant merit might, in the eyes of the Church, compensate for the laxity and weakness of less perfect brethren, and thus gradually a practice of intercession arose, which finally degenerated into the granting of indulgences.

The Church had at heart, indeed, the honor of the martyrs, but she did not therefore grant liturgical honors indiscriminately to all those who had died for the Faith. The decision as to the martyr having died for his faith in Christ, and the consequent permission of worship, lay originally with the bishop of the place in which he had borne his testimony. The bishop inquired into the motive of his death and, Ending he had died a martyr, sent his name with an iccount of his martyrdom to other churches, especially neighbouring ones, so that, in the event of approval by their respective bishops, the cultus of the martyr might extend to their churches also, and that the faithful, as we read of St. Ignatius in the "Acts" of his martyrdom (Ruinart, Acta Sincera Martyrum, 19), "might hold communion with the generous martyr of Christ" (generoso Christi martyri communicarent).

Martyrs whose cause, so to speak, had been discussed, and the fame of whose martyrdom had been confirmed, were known as proved (vindicati) martyrs. As far as the word is concerned it may probably not antedate the fourth century, when it was introduced in the Church of Carthage; but the fact is certainly older. In the earlier ages, therefore, this worship of the saints was entirely local and passed from one church to another with the permission of their bishops. This is clear from the fact that in none of the ancient Christian cemeteries are there found paintings of martyrs other than those who had suffered in that neighbourhood. It explains, also, the almost universal veneration very quickly paid to some martyrs, e. g. St. Lawrence, St. Cyprian of Carthage, Pope St. Sixtus of Rome [Duchesne, Origines du culte chrétien (Paris, 1903), 284].

The causes of martyrs are conducted in the same way as those of confessors as far as the informative processes and those de non cultu and ad introductionem causa are concerned. But when once the commission of introduction has been appointed they advance much more rapidly. It is of course necessary to find irrefutable proof of readiness for martyrdom, such as the outpouring of blood and of its acceptance by the victim. It is likewise necessary, directly or indirectly but always in a morally certain way, to ascertain the "odium Fidei" [hatred of the faith] of the persecutor. If this element is lacking there would be no true martyrdom according to the perennial theological and juridical doctrine of the Church.

In establishing the sanctity or martyrdom of a religious, at least one half the witnesses must not belong to his order (can. 2030). In the ante-preparatory meeting to discuss the miracles, two expert physicians or surgeons, specialists if possible, selected by the cardinal relator after consulting the general promotor of the Faith, report whether a cure has been wrought and whether the fact can be explained by natural causes (can. 2119); the postulator should not be informed who the experts are, and ordinarily they should not be known as such to one another (can. 2031). If the two experts consulted in the ante-preparatory meeting have upheld the miracles, only one expert is called for the preparatory discussion; if, however, they did not agree, two new experts are to assist. The cardinals may, however, always increase the number of experts, and the advocate of the cause may, in replying, call another (can. 2122).

As in deciding the fact of martyrdom and the heroic practice of virtue, the decision in the general meeting regarding the miracles rests with the pope alone. When the decree approving of the miracles has been issued, a discussion as to whether or not it is safe to proceed with the beatification is held in presence of the pope, who, after hearing the opinions of the consultors and cardinals, pronounces judgment (can. 2123-24).

The cultus applied at first to local martyrs, and it was only in exceptional circumstances that a kind of judiciary inquiry and express decision became necessary to legitimate this cultus. The peculiar situation of the Church of Africa explains the Vindicatio martyrum, which was early practised there. In modern practice, as definitively settled by the decrees of Pope Urban VIII (1625 and 1634), the acts of beatification and canonization are totally distinct. Canonization is the solemn and definitive act by which the pope decrees the plenitude of public honours. Beatification consists in permitting a cultus, the manifestations of which are restricted, and is merely a step towards canonization.