Pope's quotes: Blood of martyrs

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A quote from Pope Francis:

“From the very beginning of the life of the Church, Christians have always believed that the blood of martyrs is a seed for Christians, as Tertullian said. Today too, in a dramatic way, the blood of a great number of Christian martyrs continues to be shed on the field of the world,with the certain hope that will bear fruit in a rich harvest of holiness, justice, reconciliation and love of God. But we must remember that one is not born a martyr. Archbishop Romero remarked, 'We must be willing to die for our faith, even if the Lord does not grant us this honor. ... Giving life does not only mean being assassinated; giving life, having the spirit of martyrdom, means offering it in silence, in prayer, in the honest fulfillment of one's duty; in this silence of everyday life, giving life a little at a time.'”

-- Audience with pilgrims from El Salvador giving thanks for beatification of Bishop Oscar Romero, Oct. 30, 2015

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