Christ Martyr and the Martyrdom Of Dario
The martyrdom of Father Dario carries us naturally
to the mystery of the Passion and of the Death of Our Lord, the "Faithful
Witness " (Rev. 1,5) and "the true faithful Witness"
(Rev. 3, 14). Christ, the first born and prototype of all Church martyrs,
" having loved His own who were in the world, loved them to the end."
Thus, in the light of the Gospels, Jesus death shines forth neither
as an ordinary historical event nor the result of hatred by the chief
Jewish leaders who felt the power to goad Jesus and the apostles.
No. Jesus freely gives his life for the salvation of all. Oblation
is the most significant characteristic of His death. Jesus accepts
the will of his Father unto the abyss of charity, death and death on
a cross (Phil 2, 8). This hour, was His fundamental project (Jn 13,
1).
In order to understand the profound meaning of
martyrdom, we must consider two important points. From the point of
view of the tyrants, death results due to hatred of the faith. On the contrary,
from the point of view of the victim, we speak
rather of testimony for love of Christ. Both points of view
are always present in the theology of martyrdom. Until the 20th
century, the Church had placed more emphasis on hatred of the faith.
It spoke of the assassinated martyrs (in odium interfecti). But since
Vatican Council II, the emphasis has shifted more toward the
supreme testimony of love by disciples made like unto their Teacher
(maximum amoris testimonium) who fulfill the ultimate test of charity
(supreme probatio caritatis). The expression
"odium
fidei" disappears. (LG 42)
Thus, in the Church Constitution, number 42, Vatican
II clearly establishes clearly the bond between Jesus who offered his
life freely and its witnesses who did "as I have done".
Jesus, the Son of God, sacrificed his life for us and told us that
"there is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.
" (1 Jn 3,16; Jn 15, 13). From the first hour of Christianity,
some have had to give this testimony and others are always called
upon to do it. It follows that the Church
considers martyrdom as an eminent grace and the supreme test of charity.
Martyrdom, is achieved when the disciple assimilates their Teacher
and freely accepts death for the salvation of the world, spilling their blood
as Christ did. This is not the calling or election for all Christians.
Nevertheless, all must be ready to confess Christ before all men and
to follow the way of the Cross during times of persecution which
are never lacking in the Church.
Frequently, the Council speaks of the necessity and value
of this supreme test of love. Decree 13, on the ministry and
the life of priests, says that priests must be ready to accept the
supreme sacrifice, in accord with the example of contemporary priests
who did not vacillate in also offering their life.
In the same manner, Decree 24 on missionary activity says:
the missionary must give testimony of Our Lord and, if it is necessary, even
shed their blood before men.
Decree 42 on ecumenism speaks in the same manner. Unfortunately,
the recent history of Christian martyrdom in Central and Latin
America, invites us to reflect on the permanent reality - I think about
the death of Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, archbishop of San Salvador and
Monsignor Juan Gerardi Conedera, Auxiliary Bishop of Guatemala to mention
only two.
The reflection and attitude
of of the Church with respect to martyrdom made an important step when
on the 10th of October 1982,
John Paul II declared as Martyr, Father Maximilien Kolbe. Father Kolbe was
not required to deny his faith before a nazi tribunal. He voluntarily offered
his life with love to a companion in captivity. Six times, in his speech,
the Pope speaks of the "sign of love".
This death, says Juan Paul II, was faced spontaneously.
Does that not constitute particular fulfillment of the word of Christ?
Doesn't it make Maximilien similar to, Christ, the Model for
all martyrs who give their lives on the cross for their brothers?
Does not such a death express special and penetrating eloquence
us for our time? Is it not a particularly authentic testimony of the
Church in the contemporary world? Consequently, by virtue of
my apostolic authority, I have decreed that Maximilien Kolbe, who after his
beatification was venerated as a confesor, shall heretofore be also
venerated as a martyr.
Truly, the death of Father Kolbe is a salvation event.
The truth of the Gospel is to announce the salvation of the dignity of the
human person. To give one's life to testify to this dignity of the
human person is consequently a special testimony in favor of Christ
and of the Gospel. As we now see, when considering the criteria used
to establish a
martyr, the accent is placed heavily on the positive aspect, - the sign of
love for Christ - and not as before, hatred of the faith.
Based on those texts, we can say that the martyr - sign
of the greatest love - is a witness who followed Christ, laying down
their life to testify to the truth of salvation. The Church
recognizes it as it is: a faithful witness of Christ.
Today, we have several examples of faithful witnesses
who were killed not only due to hatred of the faith; the case
of Edith Stein or Father Maximilien Kolbe. The motives for their tyrannical
murders were not purely religious but also political. For Father Dario,
although it is clear that the motives were religious - the hatred of
the Church - there were also political motives: to establish a Soviet
Republic in the peninsula of Yucatan in the
Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.
Even today, the Church has not promulgated a dogmatic
definition of martyrdom. But from the beginning of the Christianity,
there has been a widely accepted structure of the classic martyr and his
conditions. We speak of martyr when an innocent victim dies at the
hands of tyrants opposed to their faith. Like Jesus, the martyr does
not seek death but they freely accepts it when the must choice word
is ordered- renounce your faith or do something in opposition to your
Christian values- or die. Occasionally, martyrdom is also a political
act. It is the case both with Jesus and the first Christians who refused
to honor the emperor as God, then had to die for both religious and political
reasons.
Consequently, for Dario, the title of martyrs
crown is doubly merited. He died due to hatred of the faith
and was a witness of the greatest love even offering the gift of his life
as Christ did.
Dario is a witness. He wanted to demonstrate
by his death the truth of salvation that comes from Christ and
His Gospel (LG 42).
Now, if we ask ourselves what secret propelled Dario's
life, his apostolic fervor and perseverance unto martyrdom, we could
truthfully say that it was his love for Jesus, Lord, Saviour and Martyr.
Like Saint Paul who strived to reach Christ Jesus who reached
out to make St. Paul his own. (Phil 3, 12). That explains the
extraordinary devotion of Dario with respect to the Eucharist which he celebrated
with such sacrifice.
Though true that Dario is more witness of of
Jesus' death, we must also remember that Dario is witness to Jesus' resurrection
as Apostle Saint Paul reminds us. If we have died with Christ,
we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, once risen
from the dead, shall die no more and that death has no dominion over Him,...the
life He lives, he lives for God. (ROM 6, 9-10). The same applies for
those who died in Christ, as Dario. Now their life is a life for God, and
for eternity. (1 Thes 4, 17).
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