By Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Catholic Register - The classic definition of a martyr is one who is violently killed in hatred of the faith (odium fidei) and willingly accepts that death instead of infidelity. Martyrdom thus includes both the intention of the killer, as well as the disposition of the one killed. For example, assassinated American presidents are not considered religious martyrs, as hatred of the faith was not the motivating factor for their killers... A critical factor in considering Kirk’s case would be the motivation of his killer. While there has been some reporting on that to date, it is still not entirely known with certainty.