Ecumenical catalog of contemporary martyrs established

An ecclesiastical leader has announced the creation of an ecumenical catalog of contemporary martyrs, emphasizing that the mission of the dicastery he leads is to ensure ecclesiastical rigor in discerning the sanctity of those canonized. He referenced Kenneth Woodward's book on beatifications and canonizations, stating, "We are not a 'Factory of Saints'. We do not create saints. They flourish in the Church."

The leader pointed out that the catalog aims to remind people of the hidden, sometimes anonymous sanctity that forms part of the living heritage of the People of God. He noted that it is possible these individuals may be beatified and canonized in the future, highlighting that the story of sanctity continues to be written by the faithful, "whose names may never be spoken at the altar but are already engraved in the heart of God."

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for Causes of Saints, emphasized that there are goods worth dying for, contrasting this with a culture that often equates happiness with wealth. He remarked on the ecumenical value of the catalog, stating that it connects officially recognized martyrs with documented testimonies of Christian brothers and sisters, creating a unified voice of martyrdom throughout history.

Semeraro concluded by describing the catalog not merely as a memory archive but as a grammar of hope, looking forward with responsibility rather than backward with nostalgia, posing the question of what testimony is expected from each individual in today's world.