First mailbag in a couple of months – remember that I am always happy to take your questions: Question 1: During RCIA this past week, we discussed the fallen soldiers in 2 Maccabees 12:40. My question is: are those soldiers considered martyrs, and if so, do all martyrs go to purgatory? (Asked by Monica Snell) Answer: Monica’s question relates to the discussion of eschatology this past week in RCIA. During discussion of purgatory, the citation of 2 Maccabees came up. For those catching up, here is the passage in question, 2 Maccabees 12:32-34, 39-46: “After this feast, also called Pentecost, they lost no time in marching against Gorgias, governor of Idumea, who opposed them with three thousand foot soldiers and four hundred cavalry. In the ensuing battle, a few of the Jews were slain… On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his companions went to gather up the bodies of the fallen and bury them with their kindred in their ancestral tombs. But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had fallen. They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden. Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection in mind; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin.” The soldiers in question here are fighting alongside Judas Maccabeus in his revolt against the godless in the land. Let’s take Monica’s question in its two parts: (1) The first question is whether the soldiers who died in 2 Maccabees 12 are martyrs. The dictionary definition of a martyr is a person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs. Of martyrdom, the Catechism says: “Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death. the martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he is united by charity. He bears witness to the truth of the faith and of Christian doctrine. He endures death through an act of fortitude.” (2473) When it comes to evaluating the causes of the saints, however, theologians have typically agreed on three criteria necessary for someone to be considered a Christian martyr: (1) that they die (martyrdom involves the actual loss of life – not injury), (2) that their death was inflicted by an enemy out of hatred for the faith to which they witnessed (the killer knew they were a witness to Christian faith and killed them because of it), and (3) that death was willingly accepted. Therefore, the term martyr would not properly apply to someone who was victim of injury to their body or reputation, to a Christian killed for unrelated reasons (robbery, for example), or death which was resisted. I recently had the opportunity to hear the presentation of the cause for Blessed Stanley Rother, the priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City who was martyred in 1981 in Guatemala. During the examination of his cause, they had to evaluate whether he was a true martyr. He ultimately met the criteria for these reasons: (1) he was killed by a local death squad, (2) he was killed because Rother’s witness to the Christian faith was inspiring the faithful to resist the regime, and (3) he willingly returned to Guatemala even after being informed that his name was on a list of those marked for death (while he physically resisted on the night of his murder, he had previously noted to those around him that he would resist not to escape death but only to make sure that he was killed outright and not taken captive to be used as a hostage or leverage against his flock). Therefore, Rother met the criteria of a martyr. This is a long aside of showing what qualifies as martyrdom. Given that the men in 2 Maccabees were killed in battle, they would not qualify as martyrs as they did not willingly accept martyrdom, nor were they necessarily killed for their religious convictions as much as their armed opposition. (2) It has generally been accepted that legitimate martyrs “punch their ticket” to heaven and therefore are not in purgatory. The reason for this is that the disposition of heart to willingly/knowingly go through the forfeiture of life for the Gospel is such that there is an intimate union with God in Christian love. Such a one inherently dies in a purified state. The causes of martyrs are still required to show heroic virtue as a step towards canonization; however, this is because canonized saints are put forward for veneration by the faithful as examples to be followed. In fact, the Church has held that those martyred for the name of Christ before being baptized (common in the ancient Church) are counted as having been baptized by blood. Therefore, one can think of it as a martyr dying in the state of one who has just been baptized – without stain or blemish! ----- Thanks for the questions! Remember to post during the course of the week and I will get to some as time allows each Wednesday. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place all our trust in you. Amen.