Commentary by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

As far back as at least the 6th century A. D., the Church has taught that Iudeans are not to be persecuted or molested (the word, “Jew” in English was coined in the 18th century). The occasion was a riot against several Synagogues in Sardinia, in which Catholics were involved, which spurred the Catholic Bishop of the place to write Pope Gregory the Great.

We Catholics are taught by Christ to seek the salvation of every man. As Saint Thomas Aquinas explains: we might not like another person or persons, but so long as we continue to desire their eternal salvation, we keep true love with them. We should also nurture a sense of fairness and justice to them. This is why it is contrary to the Catholic Faith to urge, desire, promote or perpetrate the murder of any innocent, even if he call himself a “Jew”. While it is true that the Fathers of the Church taught that their descendants labor under a curse of blood for putting their Lord and Master to death and because many of them even to this day consent to that death; the Church has never taught that those who do this should be molested or murdered on that account.

There is some controversy also over this Beatification, due to the fact that in the first communication, it was said that the unborn child of the family was to be included among the blessed; but there after, it was stated that when the remains were found, it was discovered that the child was born during the execution of the mother or immediately thereafter and was buried alive.

Frank Walker (of Canon212.com) got very upset at this beatification on account of this child the day he had his stroke. So for the sake of preventing other Catholics from similar health problems, I will explain the Catholic Doctrine on salvation and martyrdom.

The dispensation of grace in the New Testament is directed in the Sacraments to those who have been born of a woman. Birth is the necessary fact of life to make one eligible to be a member of the Catholic Church.

Again, in Catholic Teaching, there are four kinds kinds of martyrs: those who are killed out of hatred of Christ, regardless of whether they know it or not; and those who are giving the chance to recant the Catholic Faith and threatened with death if they do not.

Of these two categories, there are those who are publicly honored as Blesseds or Saints, and those who are not.

But you cannot be reckoned a martyr unless you were born of a woman.

You can be a martyr even if you have not been baptized with water, however, as the numerous lives of the Martyrs attest throughout the history of the Church. This is called the baptism of blood. This doctrine was never defined, but it is part of the perennial authentic magisterium.

Martyrs, who refuse death, are held to go directly to Heaven after death, without passing through purgatory. This is because they are considered to have had heroic faith and penitence. Martyrs who were not yet of the age of reason, killed out of hatred of Christ Jesus, are also considered to be Saints in Heave. The Holy Innocents are an example of this: the children whom Herod the Great ordered slaughtered so that among them he might kill the Messiah of God, the Child Jesus.

So there is absolutely nothing un-Catholic about beatifying this child who was born during the execution of his mother. And Frank should not have gotten so upset about it.

Let us continue to pray for Mr. Walker, that through the intercession of the Ulma Familly he may have a full recovery.