Vatican City, Dec 11, 2019 / 12:55 pm
Pope Francis said Wednesday that persecution has always been a part of the Church's life, and that the witness of martyrdom is a blessing for all Christians.
"Martyrdom is the air of the life of a Christian, of a Christian community. There will always be martyrs among us: this is the sign that we are going on the way of Jesus," the pope said during his Wednesday audience Dec. 11.
"It is a blessing from the Lord, that there may be in the people of God, someone or someone who gives this witness of martyrdom," the pope added.
The pope mentioned that Christian persecution is on the rise.