As was the case in the year 2000, the Jubilee of 2025 will also have among its central themes the commemoration of the new martyrs of the Church. For this occasion, the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of the Saints will publish a new Catalogue of witnesses to the Faith who have given their lives for the Gospel in the first part of the 21st century. In his letter announcing the establishment of the Commission, Pope Francis said that it will be in charge of working on this theme in view of the Jubilee and that it will constantly update the list in the future.
In his letter, the Pope explains his choice of the Commission’s name, writing: “Martyrs of the Church are witnesses to the hope that comes from faith in Christ and incites to true charity. Hope keeps alive the deep conviction that good is stronger than evil, because God in Christ has conquered sin and death.”
The pontiff also confirms the intuition of “ecumenism of blood,” a term already used by St. John Paul II. “The research,” he goes on to say, “will concern not only the Catholic Church, but will extend to all Christian denominations.”