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Father Raymond J. de Souza: What Is a Martyr? And Is Charlie Kirk One? – Brown Pelican Society of Lousiana

Father Raymond J. de Souza: What Is a Martyr? And Is Charlie Kirk One?

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Father Raymond J. de Souza: What Is a Martyr? And Is Charlie Kirk One? Image by Grok

By Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Catholic Register, September 24, 2025

Father Raymond J. de Souza is the founding editor of Convivium magazine.

COMMENTARY: Charlie Kirk’s Sept. 10 assassination has revived the debate over martyrdom.

At the massive memorial held for Charlie Kirk, he was declared a martyr several times. Notably, Vice President JD Vance called Kirk a “martyr for the Christian faith,” while President Donald Trump spoke of him as a “martyr for America’s freedom.”

Coming just a week after Pope Leo XIV presided at an ecumenical service in commemoration of the 21st-century martyrs in Rome, Kirk’s consideration as a martyr echoes Catholic debates in the 20th century over what constitutes martyrdom, as the traditional category was expanded and the sheer number of martyrs greatly increased.

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. …

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