Martyrs’ blood

Michael Swan’s “Red Wednesday” story in the Nov. 27 issue explains that persecution of Christians happens all over the world. 

In 2021, it happened in Canada when churches, mostly Catholic, were burned or vandalized. It was done in response to unproven allegations of Indigenous children’s “mass graves” at residential schools. Clearly, it was an attempt to intimidate Christians, many of whom are Indigenous. 

Yet the media paid little attention to this. The Catholic Church has had martyrs throughout its history. Tertullian wrote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” 

Indeed, the Jesuit martyrs of Huronia helped lay the foundation of the Church in Canada by witnessing to the Gospel. 

Claudio Ceolin

Toronto

Purgatory penitentiary

Let me to add to Sr. Helena Burns’ fine recent article on purgatory. 

When we trespass against love of neighbour, we incur a debt of love that must be repaid if not on Earth, then in Purgatory. 

Jesus was not giving a lesson on civics when He indirectly referred to Himself as the judge who will send a non-reconciling person to prison where release is made. This prison cannot reference Hell, where there is no release. Nor can it reference Earth where human justice is flawed and the rich and powerful have gotten away with murder. It can only be the prison named Purgatory where “last penny justice” is executed before release to Heaven.

Dominick Lobo

Thornhill, Ont. 

Star gazing?

Is The Register a Catholic newspaper? Just by reading a selection of your headlines, I am horrified by how bad my Church seems to be. 

But is my Church really bad? Or is The Register just­ Toronto Star-style tabloid journalism set out to weaken the Catholic Church, already under siege? I believe it is the latter.  Are there not topics for you to write about such as joyful events in the world Church? 

Geza Fuezery

Oshawa, Ont.

Magi lessons

Jesus is both Good Shepherd and Lamb of God and the symbolism of that duality plays out in the stories of the shepherds and Magi at Christmas. 

In both narratives a fanfare of angelic hosts and a shimmering star infuse the sky with heavenly joy. But the stories take divergent paths to arrive at the same destination. 

After their grand announcement, the angels depart leaving the shepherds to find the manger on their own. The Magi are led by the star right up to the child. The shepherds, poor and untutored, lead whereas the Magi, rich and learned, follow.

Michael Dias

Markham, Ont.