From the earliest days of Christianity, martyrdom has been a cause of both fear and fascination for the faithful. The mere recollection of places like the Circus Maximus and the Roman Colosseum, or of names like Lawrence, Sebastian, and Ignatius of Antioch, for example, evokes feats of such grandeur and beauty that they far exceed human paradigms. How insignificant the pagan heroes seem when compared to these paladins who, amidst great tribulations, washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb (cf. Rv 7:14)!

What moved them to such acts of bravery? The mere unleashing of natural energies aimed at the exaltation of their own ego? Or acts of sublime virtues practised under the impulse of divine grace? In this case, which virtues would be most directly involved in the act of martyrdom? Thomas Aquinas discusses this topic in the Summa Theologiæ, II-II, q.124, throughout five articles.

Since man is composed of body and soul, the powers of the latter do not always act in an orderly fashion, so that what is most noble prevails in him, that is, reason illuminated by faith. Now, in the face of the multiple attacks of the persecutors of the Faith, whether through fallacious sophisms, moral insults, or acts of violence, the martyr is required to be firm in truth and justice so as not to falter in the face of suffering. Such perseverance can only be the work of virtue, for the latter serves to “safeguard man in the good of reason” (a.1).

Among the fundamental virtues present in martyrdom, fortitude stands out, which has the power “to strengthen man in the good of virtue, especially against dangers, and chiefly against dangers of death” (a.2). Thus, if fortitude has the great merit of being at the heart, being the “mother virtue” from which the act of martyrdom proceeds, this has as its end the confirmation of another even more sublime virtue: faith. Every martyr is a valiant soldier of Christ, but above all, he is an illustrious hero of faith!

Nevertheless, the princeps virtue, the one that shines forth in the act of martyrdom “as its first and chief motive” (a.2, ad 2) is charity, the ultimate goal of every perfective impulse of the human soul. As the Apostle affirms, “if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13:3).

Aquinas concludes his commentary on the subject with the following question (cf. a.3): is martyrdom an act of the greatest perfection? He considers that, if viewed from the perspective of the virtue from which it emanates – fortitude – it cannot be said to be the most perfect of acts, since tolerating death is not praiseworthy in itself, except as ordered to a higher good.

However, if we consider it from its principal motive – the love called charity – we can affirm that it constitutes, by nature, “the most perfect of human acts,” for charity “is the bond of perfection” (Col 3:14).Thus declares the Divine Master: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13).