The Catholic Church has documented 304 martyrs in Latin America since the start of the 21st century—part of a growing global Vatican catalog that now exceeds 1,700 cases. According to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, these missionaries, lay faithful, and church workers were murdered not only for professing their faith, but for actively standing up against organized crime, illegal deforestation, and environmental exploitation. By opposing illicit financial interests and defending indigenous lands, their Gospel witness made them direct obstacles to criminal structures across the region.
To examine these contemporary sacrifices, the Vatican’s Commission for the New Martyrs – Witnesses of the Faith will host an international congress titled “The 21st Century: A New Time of Martyrs?” on September 15 at the Pontifical Athenaeum Augustinianum in Rome. The study day aims to deepen the global Church’s understanding of modern Christian martyrdom, building upon an ecumenical commemoration of 21st-century witnesses held at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
The upcoming congress will feature prominent voices from the Church, academia, and journalism to discuss modern Christian persecution and witness. Notable speakers include Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of Kinshasa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Sant’Egidio founder Andrea Riccardi. Attendees will also hear first-hand testimonies, including insights on surviving ongoing violent conflict from South Sudanese nun Sister Alice Drajea Jurugo.