August 8th
1:56 PM
10 notes
Reblog
A message from Anonymous
What's your stance on Christian martyrs outside the Orthodox Church?

Hello dear friend!

My priest had said once in his sermon that the Baptism of blood (he meant the martyrdom) is higher than the mystery of Baptism. So, if a Christian outside the Orthodox Church loose his life for the sake of Jesus, though he has not been declared a Saint within the secure boundaries of the Orthodox Church, it doesn’t mean he has not found favor with God or he is not ranked among the Saints in the here-after.

Saint Cyprian says:

When any die for the confession of Christ without having received the washing of regeneration, it avails as much for the remission of their sins as if they had been washed in the sacred font of baptism.

As in any case, it’s not my buisness to pass judgement one way or the other on those outside the Church, Roman Catholics, Protestant or other who suffer and are martyred for their confession of Jesus Christ. That’s why I said in the past that though I don’t venerate Saints outside Orthodoxy for the reason that their life and teachings may contradict with the teachings of my Church, however I respect their Christian witness, life and martyrdom. I don’t see how anyone who dies for the sake of Christ - unless they died consciously renouncing the Truth of His holy Orthodox Church or something like this - can be viewed as heretic.

But these are only personal thoughts. I am not the one who’ll judge or say who is a Saint or not or to talk for what’s happening outside Orthodoxy. I am just a Christian who tries to follow the teachings of Jesus and to live an Orthodox Christian way of life.

Please pray for me, a sinner, in order to obtain humility and to dedicate my life only to our Saviour.

#Orthodoxy      #Catholic      #Protestant      #Martyrs      #Christian     
  1. simplyorthodox posted this