CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 17, 2010 (Zenit.org).- A martyr is free before worldly power, a free person who in one definitive act gives his whole life to God, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope offered this explanation Aug. 11, at last Wednesday’s general audience, held in Castel Gandolfo. During the audience, the Holy Father reflected on the grace of martyrdom.
He said that martyrdom is based on Christ’s own sacrifice on the cross.
«A martyr follows the Lord to the end, freely accepting to die for the salvation of the world, in a supreme test of faith and love,» the pontiff reflected.
God’s initiative
