Addressing the participants at the three-day conference “The Community Dimension of Holiness” organized by the Dicastery of the Causes of Saints, Pope Francis delved deeper into the theme of holiness in its various dimensions – unifying, familial, and martyrdom. The conference was held at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome from November 13 to 15.

The Unifying Aspect of Holiness

Holiness, the Pope highlighted, is not only personal but also community-oriented. It is a journey made “two by two,” as shown by the parents of Saint Thérèse and the Ulma family from Poland, martyred by the Nazis and beatified in September. The Pope reminded the audience of the Gaudium et spes, which declares, “Holiness unites, and through the charity of the saints we can know the mystery of God who united to every man, embraces in His mercy the entire humanity, so that all may be one.” This unity and peace are what the world desperately needs today.

Familial Holiness

Francis stressed the familial aspect of holiness, citing several holy couples who were instruments for each other’s sanctification. He mentioned Louis and Zélie Martin, the blessed Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi, the venerable Tancredi and Giulia di Barolo, and Sergio and Domenica Bernardini. The Pope particularly highlighted Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children, who were martyred for hiding Jews in their home during the Nazi persecution.

Time of Martyrs

The Pope asserted that our era is a time of martyrs, with countless examples throughout Church history. He emphasized that entire communities have lived the Gospel heroically or offered God the lives of all their members. He also spoke about the ecumenical dimension of martyrdom, mentioning the 21 Coptic martyrs killed by jihadists on a Libyan beach, recently included in the Roman Martyrology, thus recognized as martyrs by the Catholic Church.

Asia Bibi’s case was highlighted as an example of continuous martyrdom, where she was imprisoned for nine years on blasphemy charges before being acquitted. Her daughter brought her the Eucharist during this period, marking a profound Christian witness.

“These martyrs are not things of the past,” the Pope emphasized. “Many today give witness to faith and charity, and our time has many martyrs! We must remember that martyrdom is still very much a part of our world.”