Pope Francis turns to his second predecessor to give witness on the holiness of Christians:
9. Holiness is the most attractive face of the Church. But even outside the Catholic Church and in very different contexts, the Holy Spirit raises up “signs of his presence which help Christ’s followers”. Novo Millennio Ineunte 56] Saint John Paul II reminded us that “the witness to Christ borne even to the shedding of blood has become a common inheritance of Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants”. Tertio Millennio Adveniente 37] In the moving ecumenical commemoration held in the Colosseum during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, he stated that the martyrs are “a heritage which speaks more powerfully than all the causes of division”. Homily for the Ecumenical Commemoration of Witnesses to the Faith in the Twentieth Century (7 May 2000), 5]
Martyrdom is certainly not “middle class” holiness, but a saintliness of the highest caliber. Would you agree with St John Paul that the blood suffering of Christians overcomes our petty (at times) differences?
You can check the full document Gaudete et Exsultate on the Vatican website.
Catholic Sensibility 