The word “martyr” originally derived from the “Greek word martus, [signifying] a witness who testifies to a fact of which he has knowledge from personal observation.” In Christian usage this was at first applied to the apostles, who witnessed first hand the life of Jesus Christ and his resurrection.
Over time, however, the Church reflected on the original meaning of the word martyr and recognized different kinds of martyrdom to express other ways of reaching heaven.
Click “Launch the Slideshow” in the image below to learn more about these three types of Christian martyrdom.
And today we celebrate...