Questions & Answers

Martyrs/Martyrdom

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › St. Mary and the Saints › Martyrs/Martyrdom

The question

If someone is martyred, does he automatically become a saint?

The answer

If there is no doubt that the person(s) martyred were for the sake of Christ because he, she, or they were Christian, then they would be added to the list of saints and martyrs. The twenty-one Copts who were martyred in Libya in 2015 are a great example of instantaneous sainthood based on their confession of their faith in Christ and their subsequent acceptance of martyrdom.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

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Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 2101 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.