Is it permissible to seek martydom or is that considered suicide?

[jameshobrien]

Hello Everyone,

I want to offer my life as a martyr for specific intentions. I wish to benefit specific indifiduals by offering my life for the faith.

I would be glad to engage in ministry/ evangelization work in a dangerous area (e.g., Bagdad, Somalia etc…) where christians are routinely killed for being christians (Catholics).

This is a sincere question. It is something that I’ve been considering for a long time. I may soon have the opportunity to proclaim the Good News in just such an anti-christian place.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

Hello Everyone,

I want to offer my life as a martyr for specific intentions. I wish to benefit specific indifiduals by offering my life for the faith.

I would be glad to engage in ministry/ evangelization work in a dangerous area (e.g., Bagdad, Somalia etc…) where christians are routinely killed for being christians (Catholics).

This is a sincere question. It is something that I’ve been considering for a long time. I may soon have the opportunity to proclaim the Good News in just such an anti-christian place.

Are you actively seeking to die or is the objective to evangelize and you are willing to die as a consequence for that?

 

[josephback]

The Church does not encourage people to seek martyrdom. In the tale of the “Martyrdom of Polycarp” from early Church history it is noted that that particular persecution broke out at the instigation of one deliberately seeking martyrdom. But pressed to either burn incense to Caesar or die he relented and threw away his salvation. Your desire to evangelize is good, but God will choose if you are to be a martyr. Don’t seek it out.

 

[PattiDay]

God has a plan for you. Rather than actively seeking martydom as your idea of what is desirable, pray to be open to what God has in mind for you, whether it is dying for Him or living a very long life for Him.

 

[Robert_Sock]

St. Therese of Lisieux wanted very much to become a Martyr for Christ but knew that was unlikely given the time that she lived.

 

[midori]

I remember reading about one early Christian martyr. She was in prison with her other friends, who were scheduled to die, but then she discovered that the Romans didn’t execute pregnant women, and she still had a month or two left to go. She was devastated she wasn’t going to be permitted to martyr herself with the rest of her friends, and prayed fervently. She ended up giving birth the day before the scheduled execution, and entrusted the baby to a friend to bring her up properly. She was allowed to go into the arena with the others-- and the Roman audience who had come to watch the animal games was horrified that a woman who had clearly birthed in the last 24 hours was to be executed.

So, I think that would be one example of someone who sought martyrdom, but like others have said, we never really know how we’re going to react until we’re in a certain situation. It would be extremely prideful to deliberately put yourself on a martyr’s path-- only to not be able to go through with it, like in joseph’s anecdote.

So in the meantime, tread your path, and pray for the graces you need to succeed in the situation it pleases God to place you. the humility to serve God as he desires, and the ability to use the time you do have on earth profitably. If God chooses to allow you that path, don’t minimize the sacrifice of your life with the weight of your un-performed good deeds if you try to force the issue prematurely.

 

[NewCatholic2011]

It seems to me that martyrdom should not be a goal in itself. The goal of one’s life should be to do God’s will within the calling He has given and be prepared to give one’s life if and when it becomes necessary. That you do not fear to go into dangerous areas for the faith is very commendable. Before doing so, you should prepare yourself by consulting with your priest and engaging in whatever schooling or other practicum he recommends.

Kind regards,
NC

 

[smichhertz]

Hello Everyone,

I want to offer my life as a martyr for specific intentions. I wish to benefit specific indifiduals by offering my life for the faith.

I would be glad to engage in ministry/ evangelization work in a dangerous area (e.g., Bagdad, Somalia etc…) where christians are routinely killed for being christians (Catholics).

This is a sincere question. It is something that I’ve been considering for a long time. I may soon have the opportunity to proclaim the Good News in just such an anti-christian place.

Hi jameshobrien,

Welcome to CAF! These forums are a wonderful resource to help you in your journey of faith. Feel free to post anytime you have a question!

There is nothing wrong with desiring to be a martyr for the faith, but you cannot be careless with your life. All the martyrs still made reasonable attempts at saving their lives.

A good example of this is Blessed Miguel Pro. He was a priest in hiding during Communist Mexico’s persecution of the Church. He desired to be a martyr, and even asked a group of nuns to pray that he may become one. But he still hid from the authorities and made every reasonable attempt at avoiding capture.

Bottomline: Simply do as God wills for your life. It may end in martyrdom, or it may not. But let God make that decision for you, and you just continue to trust in Him.

God bless!

 

[AntalKalnoky]

It is Inherently Wrong to Seek Martyrdom; Blessed Martyr Fr Miguel Po Hid, til found. He did not run around outside saying “I’m A Priest” Seeking martyrdom.

• Seeking Martyrdom artifically Is seeking Suicide, Seeking Death. And the stories of some Muslims Seeking to Kill Christians is a Very Extreme exagerration, almost lie. I know several veterans who served there. It is a Major Wrong in Koran and Islam to kill an unarmed person. The few they kill are our Armed Soldiers they see as Invaders of Their Lands and Culture. And Warfare, Killings we Brought to Iraq had no Excuse or Reason. NONE; Zero. Our Conquering Iraq was Pre-planned by a Few top insiders in 1999, None of whom were Veterans of Wars (“The Forum”)
  

                                                                                                                     Warfare is  an Extreme, to be Avoided at  all reasonable  costs.  Wafare  Results in Extremes   of hatred,  killing.  Am  Survivor of  WW   II,  as  was my  Family in Austria,   as  did  Blessed Pope   John  Paul II  the Great and His Holliness Pope  Benedict.  60   Million People died in WW   II.  War   and Violence  are  never The Answer, nor  seeking it.

• There are innumerable Violunteer programs of all kinds Here, to help the Survivors of the Iraq War. Pray, do Our Lord’s Will not yours. God Bless You.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

It is Inherently Wrong to Seek Martyrdom; Blessed Martyr Fr Miguel Po Hid, til found. He did not run around outside saying “I’m A Priest” Seeking martyrdom.

• Seeking Martyrdom artifically Is seeking Suicide, Seeking Death. And the stories of some Muslims Seeking to Kill Christians is a Very Extreme exagerration, almost lie. I know several veterans who served there. It is a Major Wrong in Koran and Islam to kill an unarmed person. The few they kill are our Armed Soldiers they see as Invaders of Their Lands and Culture.
  

                                                            Pray,  do Our Lord's  Will not yours.  God  Bless You.

You should tell the Chaldeans in Bagdad who have had horrible things down to them in the name of Allah.

 

[philial]

Hello Everyone,

I want to offer my life as a martyr for specific intentions. I wish to benefit specific indifiduals by offering my life for the faith.

I would be glad to engage in ministry/ evangelization work in a dangerous area (e.g., Bagdad, Somalia etc…) where christians are routinely killed for being christians (Catholics).

This is a sincere question. It is something that I’ve been considering for a long time. I may soon have the opportunity to proclaim the Good News in just such an anti-christian place.

I suspect you have a rather too romantic idea of martyrdom, thinking of it as something sanitized and painless, full of visions and glory. But if you do not fear death or pain then there is little virtue in undergoing them for Christ, who, Himself, exhibited a very healthy fear of both (agony in the garden).

I remember having a chat with a spiritual director many years ago, in which the subject of dying for God came up (I was full of it, just like you ). He said " Ah, but it is much harder to live for God than it is to die for Him. One takes but a few moments, the other a lifetime!"

 

[AntalKalnoky]

You should tell the Chaldeans in Bagdad who have had horrible things down to them in the name of Allah.

A very Few, By a Very few, Because of Our Conquerinfg their Land Without Any Excuse. All Iraqi’s lived Peacefully, tolerated each other, until our Radical Crazy idea of “Conquering them” as part of our Insider Military Conquest Agenda by a FEW GOP Insiders, who had gone to extremes to Not Serve in Viet and Isreali Wars. These happened All After our Military Conquest, pre-planned by Non-Veteran Political insiders (of the GOP)

 

[jameshobrien]

Are you actively seeking to die or is the objective to evangelize and you are willing to die as a consequence for that?

Thank You everyone who responded. There is a definite theme among your replies. That is that we are not to seek martydom. (Although, I’d still like a definitive answer that quotes Church teaching, e.g. Chechism, I’m thinking that seekng it is not right.)

In response to Dakota Roberts’ question, I’m not ‘seeking to die’ for the sake of dying, but rather to offer the only thing that I have to offer to these others whom I wish to benefit, my life and faith…

 

[AntalKalnoky]

Thank You everyone who responded. There is a definite theme among your replies. That is that we are not to seek martydom. (Although, I’d still like a definitive answer that quotes Church teaching, e.g. Chechism, I’m thinking that seekng it is not right.)

In response to Dakota Roberts’ question, I’m not ‘seeking to die’ for the sake of dying, but rather to offer the only thing that I have to offer, my life and faith…

One Lives our Faith, does not Seek dying for it. Amen #11, Philial!

 

[GloriousOrder]

We know God’s will on this issue when we examine the story of St. Dominic. His biggest dream for many years was to go to the Holy Land and die a martyr, as a witness for the strength and truth of Christianity. Every time he tried to go, there were not-so-subtle obstacles put in his place. If you want to go and die a martyr for the holy faith, it’s a sure sign God is calling you to be a long-lived and wise saint.

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

A very Few, By a Very few, Because of Our Conquerinfg their Land Without Any Excuse. All Iraqi’s lived Peacefully, tolerated each other, until our Radical Crazy idea of “Conquering them” as part of our Insider Military Conquest Agenda by a FEW GOP Insiders, who had gone to extremes to Not Serve in Viet and Isreali Wars. These happened All After our Military Conquest, pre-planned by Non-Veteran Political insiders (of the GOP)

They didn’t peacefully tolerate each other, Saddam Hussein forced them to get along. He was a secular dictator as opposed to a theocrat. In addition to the many reprehensible things he did he also did a bit of good.

 

[AntalKalnoky]

Thank You everyone who responded. There is a definite theme among your replies. That is that we are not to seek martydom. (Although, I’d still like a definitive answer that quotes Church teaching, e.g. Chechism, I’m thinking that seekng it is not right.)

In response to Dakota Roberts’ question, I’m not ‘seeking to die’ for the sake of dying, but rather to offer the only thing that I have to offer to these others whom I wish to benefit, my life and faith…

How about “Thou Shalt not Kill”? (Even oneself; Sr Dionysius taught us in 8th grade.)

 

[AntalKalnoky]

Thank You everyone who responded. There is a definite theme among your replies. That is that we are not to seek martydom. (Although, I’d still like a definitive answer that quotes Church teaching, e.g. Chechism, I’m thinking that seekng it is not right.)

In response to Dakota Roberts’ question, I’m not ‘seeking to die’ for the sake of dying, but rather to offer the only thing that I have to offer to these others whom I wish to benefit, my life and faith…

A good Definite quote is “Thou Shalt Not Kill”; even oneself, as Sr Dionysius taught in 8th grade. She taught Very Memorably, as does Mother Angelica reruns!

 

[AntalKalnoky]

They didn’t peacefully tolerate each other, Saddam Hussein forced them to get along. He was a secular dictator as opposed to a theocrat. In addition to the many reprehensible things he did he also did a bit of good.

No Chaldeans were killed, before we conquered Iraq. We’re Outsiders, and not Muslims, and are Highly Armed. BTW: Saddam was Not a practising Muslim, as you suggested; only acted Muslim for popular support. The Horrors Saddam Initiated and practised were as Our Allie, power buddy, of the 1980’s. We Never complained about his Killing Masses of His People, or Torturing them, even Gassing Genocide; we just stayed silent in the 1980’s. We never lectured our evil, immoral allies, like everyone else did.