Martyrs:
what, who and why
by Mike Oettle
Constantine / Stephen / Manche Masemola / Wenceslas
WHAT is special about martyrs, especially those we find on the Church
calendar? Well, to begin with, the word simply meant a witness (in Greek martus
[martuV], or martur- [martur-]). Since the Greek capital letter U looks like a Y, the word was spelt martyr when it was first taken up into Latin, and so it has stayed in English.
At first, one could use
it to describe all the Apostles, for they were all witnesses to Jesus’ life,
death and resurrection. (Paul is an exception, but his letters speak for him.)
But as time went on martyr came to be reserved for those who had suffered for
their faith. People who had been in prison for believing in Christ were
customarily asked to pronounce the blessing or the absolution. Eventually, as
the Roman authorities began killing more and more Christians, witness unto
death came to be regarded as a special road to grace, a substitute for baptism,
and more and more the word martyrdom was attached to it.
Local churches began marking the date of a martyr’s death each year – at first only the few they knew personally. It was only when, after Constantine became emperor, the Roman authorities stopped the slaughter of Christians, that other exemplary saints (those who had not been killed for believing in Jesus) were added to the calendar, and that the days of saints from other provinces of the empire were kept.
As the first to die for his faith, Stephen holds a special place in our affections: a man “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”, he made a speech to the Sanhedrin which, as reported in Acts, should have converted everyone there. Instead he was condemned as a blasphemer and stoned by men believing it their religious duty – something Christ had foretold – but his steadfast behaviour while suffering must have made an impression on those who watched. Indeed, one wonders whether Paul, watching the clothes of the stoners, was not unconsciously disturbed by the death of this man, and whether this did not affect his behaviour on the
Damascus road.
Because he was first after Jesus, Stephen was given a place of honour on the calendar on the first day after Christmas. (Obviously, this was only after Christmas itself was recognised – and that’s a story in itself.) Most of us only remember the day
because of the line “on the feast of Stephen” in the carol Good King
Wenceslas.
Wenceslas (Vaclav [Vats-lav], in Czech, or Wentzel, in German) was prince-duke (not king) of the largely pagan Bohemian Slavs who still call themselves Cechy, or Czechs. He was brought up a Christian by his grandmother, St Ludmila, who was murdered on the orders of Wenceslas’s ambitious pagan mother, Drahomira. Drahomira then became regent until her son became of age around 925 AD. An extremely pious man (he took a vow of virginity), Wenceslas aroused the enmity of his pagan subjects for his zeal in spreading Christianity. The last straw came when, faced with German invasions, he submitted to the German king. His pagan nobles conspired with his brother Boleslav, who on the morning of 28 September 929 killed him at the church door at Stara Boleslav, while on the way to mass.
Miracles were reported from his tomb, which frightened Boleslav, and in 932 Wenceslas’s remains were transferred to the Church of St Vitus in Prague, which then became a great
pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages. Almost immediately after his death,
Wenceslas was regarded as Bohemia’s patron saint.
Looking at the calendar I see that 5 February is given to the martyrs of Japan – if you saw Shogun on TV you will remember the cruel way the Christians of Japan (Japanese
as well as European) were treated. Many were crucified like their Lord. But
Africa is not short of her own martyrs, and 21 February is given to the martyrs
of Africa.
One close to home is Manche Masemola, whose day is 4 February. This Mopedi girl from Sekhukhuniland, in what used to be Lebowa and is now in Limpopo Province, enrolled in a catechism class at the age of 18 despite the opposition of her pagan family. Her mother promised her continued beatings if she persisted, and Manche told her priest that she would be baptised in her own blood. This was, indeed, what happened when, 60 years ago on the 4th, she was beaten to death by her mother and other relatives.
Unfortunately, I have no information on miracles concerning Manche. However, since the performance of
miracles is regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as proof of a person’s sainthood, I look into this next.
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Vir Afrikaans, kliek hier
This article was originally published in Western Light, monthly magazine of All Saints’ Parish, Kabega Park, Port Elizabeth, in February 1989.
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