Pope John Paul II a MARTYR?!?!

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The Greek word martus signifies a witness who testifies to a fact of which he has knowledge from personal observation.

Folks!! Your lack of knowledge disturbs me!! :o

There are two kinds of martyrdom, the red and the white.
Red martyrdom occurs when a person sheds their blood for Christ. Throughout the history of the Church, there have been many of these brave souls who died rather that forsake the Lord. Many of their names are very familiar and form a litany of courage and trust in God; Stephen, Lawrence, Justin, Polycarp, Sebastian, Paul Miki, Maximilian Kolbe, Agnes, Lucy, Agatha, Cecilia, Apollonia, Edith Stein, and Maria Goretti are just a few.

The second form is called white martyrdom. This is a martyrdom without blood, without the violent taking of life. White martyrdom is a total offering to God, a “dying” to the world and its allurements. A white martyr willingly gives up worldly concerns and makes his or her life a perpetual pilgrimage. A white martyr lives a life of heroic devotion for Him alone, eagerly uniting that devotion with Christ’s sufferings.

You still hold to the idea that JPII is not to be considered a martyr under any circumstance? He may not have suffered a red martyrdom, but certainly it is perfectly theologically sound for the Church to consider the later form.
 
vladmission.org/polishsaintcands/sainthome.htm

SAINTHOOD CANDIDATES

In the early part of the twentieth century, the far east of Russia, including Vladivostok, was populated by many Polish settlements. We have seven sainthood candidates who lived in the city of Vladivostok—five Polish laymen, Bishop Karol Sliwowsky, and Fr. Jerzy Jurkiewicz. The Holy Father has asked that information be gathered on these and other Russian martyrs as quickly as possible before the eyewitnesses are all deceased. If you have information that would help us, please contact us at the U.S. office.
When the ravages of the 1917 Communist revolution finally reached the city of Vladivostok, which was located at the end of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, it had devastating effects on the Catholic as well as the Orthodox populations.

All Catholic clergy were first arrested and sent to labor camps. Soon after this, the parishes were closed down. Parishioners were harassed and intimidated in many ways. Many were executed, suffering “red” martyrdom. Others, although they were not executed physically for the faith, suffered “white” martyrdom for the faith.

One such white martyr was the beloved first bishop of Vladivostok, the Most Reverend Karol Sliwowsky. Bishop Sliwowsky’s cathedral as well as his episcopal residence was taken away from him. He died shortly after of a broken heart while being confined in house arrest. The rector of the cathedral, Fr. Jerzy Jurkiewicz, who also acted as the bishop’s personal assistant, was reportedly last seen in a gulag with one eye missing. He was never heard from again.

Five laymen, all Russian Polish, were killed after they were discovered praying the rosary.

For more information on the sainthood candidates, please read the following articles:

http://www.vladmission.org/_themes/ice75/bluebullet.gifPolish Laymen Executed for Praying Rosaryhttp://www.vladmission.org/_themes/ice75/bluebullet.gifList of Polish Lay Sainthood Candidateshttp://www.vladmission.org/_themes/ice75/bluebullet.gifBishop Karol Sliwowskyhttp://www.vladmission.org/_themes/ice75/bluebullet.gifVladivostok Parishioner Preserves Bishop’s Relicshttp://www.vladmission.org/_themes/ice75/bluebullet.gifFather Jerzy Jurckiewicz

vladmission.org/polishsaintcands/FirstCommunion2Rev1_small.jpg
First Communion photo from Vladivostok, 1915. Bishop Sliwowsky is standing slightly left of center. Photo was taken in front of temporary wooden church, built before stone Vladivostok cathedral. (To see larger version, click on photo.)
 
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Fergal:
The Greek word martus signifies a witness who testifies to a fact of which he has knowledge from personal observation.

Folks!! Your lack of knowledge disturbs me!! :o

There are two kinds of martyrdom, the red and the white.
Red martyrdom occurs when a person sheds their blood for Christ. Throughout the history of the Church, there have been many of these brave souls who died rather that forsake the Lord. Many of their names are very familiar and form a litany of courage and trust in God; Stephen, Lawrence, Justin, Polycarp, Sebastian, Paul Miki, Maximilian Kolbe, Agnes, Lucy, Agatha, Cecilia, Apollonia, Edith Stein, and Maria Goretti are just a few.

The second form is called white martyrdom. This is a martyrdom without blood, without the violent taking of life. White martyrdom is a total offering to God, a “dying” to the world and its allurements. A white martyr willingly gives up worldly concerns and makes his or her life a perpetual pilgrimage. A white martyr lives a life of heroic devotion for Him alone, eagerly uniting that devotion with Christ’s sufferings.

You still hold to the idea that JPII is not to be considered a martyr under any circumstance? He may not have suffered a red martyrdom, but certainly it is perfectly theologically sound for the Church to consider the later form.
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you took the words right out of my mouth. 🙂
 
Fergal: If what you say is so, then I guess I would have to concede that the old Holy Father might indeed be a white martyr. But even with the examples you cite, it still seems a stretch. These men, may they rest in everlasting peace and may Christ look with favor on them, actually and objectively suffered in their bodies, blood spilled or not, for the faith. The Holy Father did as well, I’m sure, but surely it was mostly from the frustration that people didn’t get it. He was universally (well, nearly) loved by all, even those who would not obey him (“we adore him, even though he’s not exactly in step with the modern world, now is he?”). Now I suppose one could cite his perserverance in his mission despite his crippling frailites and health as a bit of a case for martyrdom…maybe.

Beloved Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, pray for your children who miss and love you. May God hasten the day he is raised to the honors of the Altar.
 
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