Martyrs/Martyrdom
Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › St. Mary and the Saints
8 questions
- What is the exact definition of a Christian martyr? Should he/she be a believer or not? Should he/she die naturally or by shedding his/her blood in the name of Christ?…
- Is the Christian martyr the one who shed his blood willingly in the name of Christ and because of his/her faith, or unwillingly?
- With the terrible attacks that happened in Alexandria, and other places alike; why do we classify the 23 who were murdered as martyrs? What's the actual definition of…
- Were the youth that were killed during the bombing at the Alexandrian church, or in any other church during a terrorist attack, automatically considered martyrs? In other…
- Are martyrs automatically canonized like the 21 in Libya?
- If someone is martyred, does he automatically become a saint?
- If a person commits a lot of sin and even murder but they die because of their faith and proclaim Jesus's name before dying, do they go to heaven?
- What is your opinion on some of the glorifications for martyrs that, as far as I understand, have not been officially recognized by the Holy Synod? With all due respect…
Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.