Many Christians are
persecuted in the world today "with white gloves", Pope Francis
said at his general audience Wednesday.
"They are persecuted with white gloves, left on one side,
marginalised," he said.
"And martyrdom is the air of the life of a Christian, of a
Christian community".
Speaking off the cuff, the pope said "there will always be
martyrs among us, and that is the sign that we are going along
the path of Jesus.
"It is a blessing from the Lord that there should be in the
people of God some man or woman that bears this witness of
martyrdom".
Francis went on: "I come from St Peter's, there I had a first
audience this morning with Ukraine pilgrims, from a Ukrainian
diocese.
"How persecuted these people have been!
"How much have they suffered for the Gospel!
"But they didn't negotiate over faith. They are an example".
The pope described the Ukrainian Church as "the Mother Church
of martyrs".
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