This week, Catholics across the globe celebrated St. Valentine’s feast day and the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. But there was another special date that you may have missed: the ninth anniversary of the 21 Coptic Martyrs of Libya, and the first feast day of these martyrs in the Catholic Church.
Who were “the 21”?
The Coptic Martyrs were 21 men (20 Egyptian and 1 Ghanian) brutally executed by ISIS militants in 2015 on a beach in Sirte, Libya, for not converting to Islam. Their deaths were captured on camera and subsequently posted to the Internet by members of the Islamic State.
Before their deaths, the men told to give up their Christian faith. In the brutal video, the martyrs are accused and sentenced to death because they “insisted to remain in unbelief.”
In their last moments one of the men, St. Gabir Mournir Adly, is seen professing his faith saying “Ya Rabbi Yasou,” which is translated to “Oh, my Lord Jesus.”
Terror could not destroy the strength of the martyrs’ faith.
Baptism by Blood
One of the martyrs, Matthew Ayegra, was not Christian. But Ayegra refused to convert to Islam after being inspired by the strength of his friends’ faith. Ultimately Ayegra professed his faith in Christ and was martyred alongside the others.
All 21 men were canonized in the Coptic church a week after their deaths. In remembering the tragedy, the wife of St. Sameh Salah stated:
The Lord Christ was crucified, whipped, and tortured for our sake. Can’t we resist a little bit? Can’t we shed a few drops of blood for His sake! No we can do it and we can resist it.
Veneration in the Catholic Church
Following the eighth anniversary of the martyrdom, Pope Francis enlisted the 21 Coptic Martyrs in the Roman Martyrology. On that occasion, the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Tawadros II, bestowed Pope Francis with relics dipped in the martyrs’ bloodd of the martyrs.
Pope Francis said that is recorded as identifying their blood isas being a symbolic representation of unity for followers of Christ:.
“These martyrs were baptized not only in the water and Spirit, but also in blood, a blood that is the seed of unity for all of Christ’s followers…”
The Roman Martyrology is an official list from the Vatican that includes saints, martyrs, and blesseds from the Catholic faith. The ever-expanding catalog is a collection and form of remembrance for all those who have dedicated their lives to Christ.
This week Pope Francis commemorated the Coptic Martyrs during evening vespers at St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, alongside the veneration of their relics and icons. The film The 21: The Power of Faith, which was filmed following the deaths of the Martyrs, was shown at the Vatican following the ecumenical prayer service.
