Sarah Mitchell
There are hundreds of Catholic martyrs, many of whom were put to death for their faith. Martyrs are recognised by the Catholic Church as those who have borne witness to Christ and died for their beliefs. There are three types of martyrdom recognised by the Church: white martyrdom, green martyrdom, and red martyrdom. Red martyrdom refers to the giving of one's life, green martyrdom to extreme penance and fasting, and white martyrdom to other ways of witnessing the Gospel without being killed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic Martyrs | Hundreds |
| Types of Martyrdom | 3 (White, Green, Red) |
| Examples of Methods of Martyrdom | Beheading, Stoning, Crucifixion, Burning at the Stake, Flaying |
| Notable Catholic Martyrs | St. Stephen, Bartholomew (Nathanael bar Tolmai) |
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What You'll Learn
Martyrs who were stoned to death
There are hundreds of Roman Catholic martyr saints who were put to death for their faith. Martyrdom is considered a direct path to sainthood in many types of Christianity. While the original meaning of the word "martyr" was restricted to those who had been killed for their faith, the Church has since recognised different kinds of martyrdom to express other ways of reaching heaven.
Stoning is a traditional punishment, and among Christian martyrs, St. Stephen, who died in 36 AD in Jerusalem, was the first to be stoned to death. He was one of the first seven deacons chosen by the early Christian community and became an evangelist. His success in converting Jews drew the ire of the Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court). Accused of blasphemy, he made a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment of him and was sentenced to death for speaking against "this holy place and the law". He is often depicted in paintings as holding a basket of stones.
Another martyr who was stoned to death was St. Bartholomew, usually identified as one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus Christ. Little is known of him historically, and his death date is not known, but it is traditionally said that he died in Albanopolis, Armenia. There is evidence that he was a missionary to what are now Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Ethiopia, and Mesopotamia, and that the Armenian king Astyages called for his death after Bartholomew converted the king's brother. The manner of his death is a matter of dispute: some sources claim he was beheaded, while others say he was crucified upside down. However, the method with which he is usually identified is flaying—that is, his skin was fully removed from his body in strips while he was still alive, before finally being beheaded.
St. Sebastian is another Christian martyr who is often portrayed in art as having been shot through with arrows. However, this was just the first time he was "killed". He was a Christian who had been converting his fellow soldiers and was sentenced to death. He was tied to a tree and left for dead after being shot with arrows, but he was later found by a woman (later St. Irene) who nursed him back to health. He subsequently appeared before the emperor again, and this time was clubbed to death, with his body dumped into a Roman sewer.
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Martyrs of the Middle Ages
There are hundreds of Catholic martyr saints, and while not all Christian confessions accept every figure as a martyr, martyrdom is considered a direct path to sainthood in many types of Christianity.
Medieval Christians often chose particular saints as special guardians for individuals, groups, and even specific professions. Illuminated books, including inspirational biographies and private prayer books, encouraged prayer, spread legends of the saints' pious acts, and honoured their legacy. Saints were integral to medieval Christianity, admired for their willingness to suffer torture and death, their ability to perform miracles, and their privileged place in heaven.
Medieval artists pictured saints in images of incredible horror and great beauty, designed to offer inspiration and comfort to the faithful. In some images, artists produced arresting scenes of martyrs at the moment of suffering, while in others, saints hold the instruments of their torture, serene in the knowledge that salvation awaits. Saints experienced spectacular visions, performed miracles on behalf of the faithful, and were blessed by divine intervention into their lives.
The Getty Center Exhibitions include an illuminated manuscript from the permanent collection that reveals the widespread appeal and influence of saints in art and society during the Middle Ages. The exhibition also includes images of female saints with their names and the simple phrase, "Pray for us." Medieval readers would have easily recognised them by an identifying symbol each holds or by the depiction of their particular martyrdom.
One example of a martyr from the Middle Ages is Bartholomew, usually identified as one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus Christ. Little is known of him historically, and his death date is unknown, but it is traditionally said that he died in Albanopolis, Armenia. There is evidence that he was a missionary to what are now Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Ethiopia, and Mesopotamia, and that the Armenian king Astyages called for his death after Bartholomew converted the king's brother. The manner of his death is a matter of dispute: some say he was beheaded, while others say he was crucified upside down. However, the method with which Bartholomew is usually identified is flaying—his skin was fully removed from his body in strips while he was still alive.
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Martyrs who were burned at the stake
Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith, bearing witness even unto death. There are hundreds of Roman Catholic martyr saints, put to death for their faith. While martyrdom is not limited to death by burning, there are several martyrs who were burned at the stake.
During the English Reformation, Protestants were executed in England under heresy laws during the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary I, Edward VI, Elizabeth I, and James I. Most executions took place during the short reign of Mary I, in what came to be known as the "Marian Persecutions". Hundreds of dissenters were burned at the stake, earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary". The number of people executed for their faith during these persecutions is thought to be at least 287, including 56 women. Thirty others died in prison.
John Foxe, a Protestant theologian and activist, described the persecutions in his contemporaneously published Book of Martyrs. He lists 312 individuals who were burnt or hanged for their faith or died in prison. Three of these people are commemorated with a gothic memorial in Oxford, England, and are known locally as the "Marian Martyrs".
One of the more famous instances of burning at the stake during the Marian Persecutions was the execution of Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley. Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley were moved to the town prison in Oxford, where they were to debate in public with Roman Catholic theologians. Back in the town gaol, Latimer read the New Testament over and over again, as no other books were allowed him. As the prisoners watched the heresy trials anxiously, they greeted the first burning, of John Rogers at Smithfield in February 1555, as a triumph.
On the day of their execution, Ridley wore a smart black gown, while Latimer, who was about seventy, wore a shabby old garment, which he took off to reveal a shroud. Ridley kissed the stake, and both men knelt and prayed. After a fifteen-minute sermon urging them to repent, they were chained to the stake and a bag of gunpowder was hung around each man's neck. As the fire took hold, Latimer was stifled by the smoke and died without pain. Ridley, however, writhed in agony and repeatedly cried out, "Lord, have mercy upon me" and "I cannot burn". Cranmer, who was made to watch, would go to his own death the following year.
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Martyrs who were beheaded
The number of Catholic martyrs throughout history is difficult to ascertain, but it is believed to be in the thousands. Among these martyrs, many faced brutal deaths, including beheading. One of the most well-known early Christian martyrs was St. Paul, who is believed to have been beheaded in Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero in the 1st century AD. This form of execution was common in ancient Rome and was often used as a punishment for criminals and those who were seen as threats to the state or refused to renounce their faith.
Moving into the Middle Ages, we remember St. Oliver Plunkett, the 17th-century Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland, who was falsely accused of plotting against the English crown and sentenced to death. He was beheaded in 1681, and his martyrdom became a symbol of Irish Catholic resistance during a time of harsh penal laws.
In the same century, we also recall the martyrdom of St. Charles Lwanga and his companions in Uganda. They were court officials and converts to Christianity who refused to yield to the sexual advances of the king. As a result, they were arrested and faced death for their faith. On June 3, 1886, St. Charles and his companions were burned alive, beheaded, or clubbed to death, becoming some of the most renowned African Catholic martyrs.
More recently, in the 20th century, we find the story of St. Paul Chong Hasang and his companions, who were Korean Catholics martyred during the Joseon Dynasty. This group of martyrs, beatified and canonized by Pope John Paul II, included people from all walks of life, from peasants to nobles. They were persecuted and killed for their faith, and many were beheaded between 1839 and 1867.
Lastly, we remember St. John the Baptist, a biblical figure revered by Christians and Muslims alike. He is believed to have been beheaded by Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, around 32 AD. John's fearless preaching and bold criticism of Herod's unlawful marriage led to his imprisonment and eventual beheading, making him one of the earliest martyrs in Christian tradition.
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Martyrs who died for their faith
Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith, bearing witness even unto death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies three types of martyrdom: white martyrdom, green martyrdom, and red martyrdom. While the Church has recognised different kinds of martyrdom to express other ways of reaching heaven, red martyrdom refers specifically to giving one's physical life.
There are hundreds of Roman Catholic martyr saints who have been put to death for their faith. Here are some martyrs who died for their faith:
St. Stephen
St. Stephen is considered the first Catholic martyr. He was stoned to death in 36 AD in Jerusalem. He was among the first ordained deacons of the Catholic Church and was recognised for his gift as an evangelist.
St. Bartholomew
St. Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus Christ. He was a missionary to what are now Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Ethiopia, and Mesopotamia. It is said that he was called to death by the Armenian king Astyages after converting the king's brother. His death is a matter of dispute, with some sources claiming he was flayed alive and then beheaded, while others suggest he was crucified upside down.
Clement Shahbaz Bhatti
Clement Shahbaz Bhatti was a Catholic from Pakistan, a country with a Muslim majority. He was an active spokesperson against the country's blasphemy laws. In 2011, he was assassinated, with his car sprayed with bullets. Bishop Anthony Lobo of the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi declared Bhatti a martyr, stating that he "decided to play an active part in politics in order to protect the country's Christians and other minorities."
Vibia Perpetua
Vibia Perpetua was a bold and brave believer in the Christian faith who died within the walls of the Carthaginian arena at the age of 22 in 203 CE.
Maximilian Kolbe
Maximilian Kolbe was a Catholic priest who spent his last days at Auschwitz. He volunteered to die in someone else's place and has since been canonised.
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Frequently asked questions
There are hundreds of Roman Catholic martyr saints.
Martyrdom is the act of bearing witness to Christ and dying for one's faith.
There are three types of martyrdom: white martyrdom, green martyrdom, and red martyrdom. While red martyrdom refers to giving one's physical life, green martyrdom focuses on extreme penance and fasting out of love for God.
