Word: martyrdoms
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...church in Rome of which Cardinal Mindszenty became titular head was Monte Celio's 5th Century rotunda of St. Stephen the first martyr (about 50 A.D.).* On the walls of St. Stephen's are 34 frescoes showing scenes of Christian martyrdom-St. Margaret, her breast torn with hooks; Bishop Artemius, crushed between stone slabs; Bishop Simeon cut to pieces with knives. But not all martyrdom involves death. One fresco at St. Stephen's tells of a 4th Century persecution of Christians by King Unericus in North Africa. The description reads: "Those who talked and raised their hands...
Joseph Mindszenty has lived for three years with the threat of martyrdom hanging over him. He knew it and talked about it, and said he was ready to accept it. He even prepared for the form of martyrdom that overtook him last week, the martyrdom devised by King Unericus-the martyrdom of the tongue that could no longer clearly profess that to which he had dedicated his life...
That was the Mindszenty the Communists arrested. Nobody had pressed him into his dangerous opposition. He had not fooled himself into thinking he was safe. He had taken, out of his own unyielding character, the uphill road to martyrdom...
This trial would be remembered and discussed for many years. One lesson was presently and dreadfully clear. Once the Communists had established their rule, no man, however strong, could be sure of maintaining his integrity. Mindszenty, looking forward to martyrdom, had quoted St. Paul: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain...
They had not let Mindszenty die. They had arranged a more bitter martyrdom...