Are Aborted Babies Martyrs?

 

Abortion is the cold-blooded murder of an innocent unborn human being. As such, it is one of the Four Sins That Scream To Heaven For Vengeance. I have always been pro-life. I was very involved in the pro-life movement politically from 1990-2000, in trying to secure a Human Life Amendment to the United States Constitution. I have never even once voted for any candidate who was not 100% pro-life, and when confronted with candidates in any race that were not such, I would cast a write-in vote for myself. As of February 2021, there have been over 62 million legal surgical and medical abortions in the United States. That's an average of 1.29 million babies slaughtered each year in this country alone. (See hli.org). There are no words strong enough to condemn such pure evil. 

Nevertheless, there are some "conservatives" in the Vatican II sect (and perhaps even some misguided Traditionalists) who call, or seek to have recognized, aborted babies as martyrs, the same as the Holy Innocents. This is especially true in the Vatican II sect where a private revelation called The Community [or Family] of Divine Innocence is promoted. The "seer," one Patricia de Menezes (b. 1940), has been claiming messages from "Jesus and Mary" since 1979, and that they want the "Church" [Vatican II sect] to proclaim aborted children as "companion martyrs of the first Holy Innocents." 

In this post, I will (1) set forth Church teaching on martyrdom, (2) show how the Holy Innocents fit that definition, (3) why aborted babies are not martyrs, (4) the dire practical and theological consequences of such a false teaching of martyrdom, (5) how the Vatican II sect, while rejecting the false revelations of "Divine Innocence" give credence to its teaching. 

Church Teaching on Martyrdom

The following points I condensed from Fr. Ronald Knox's wonderful treatise The Theology of Martyrdom , (1929)---all emphasis is mine: 

1. The word "martyr" means "witness." It means you give witness to the True Faith by your death. Martyrdom implies, not simply losing your life, but giving up your life. Your life is prematurely cut short in the interests of something greater than yourself. Neither suffering by itself, nor suffering followed by death is martyrdom properly so called.

2. The Church does not bestow the title of martyr upon those heroic priests, nuns, and layman who have persistently attended to the suffering in times of pestilence. St. Aloysius, whose death was brought on by such a labor was not canonized a martyr. These deaths were not the result of the assertion of religious truth against the enemies of religious truth. They laid down their lives for Christ's sake, but not for Christ's quarrel.

3. The faith one dies for can only be the unadulterated, Integral Catholic Faith; the One True Religion. To those who object that non-Catholics can receive Baptism of Desire, and it is therefore hypocritical to deny Protestants who, in good faith, die for a false belief the title of martyrs, it can be demonstrated their argument is without merit.  Baptism of Desire does not deny the objectivity of Truth, as this argument presupposes. The world tells us "Be good and you will go to Heaven, if such a place exists." A martyr is not someone who dies for what they believe, it is someone who dies for the Truth. Thomas Crammer died because he disbelieved in the papacy. St. Thomas More died because he believed in the papacy. Both cannot be true, so to make martyrs of both means either objective truth doesn't matter or doesn't exist.

4. As an adult, you must have the intention to die as a witness for the Truth. If a Traditionalist is killed in his sleep (unaware he was in any danger) by someone who is an enemy of the Faith, he does not qualify as a martyr. The Church means, by martyrdom, death undergone at the hands of those who hate the True Catholic Faith, for the sake of the True Catholic Faith; and undergone, in the case of adults, deliberately. Infants, killed for the sake of the True Faith, by those who hate the True Faith, die as martyrs without any intention necessary. They receive Baptism of Blood (if unbaptized) and their salvation is assured. (e.g. The Holy Innocents).

5. On the part of the enemies of Christ, a certain odium fidei ("hatred of the Faith") is necessary. A wholesale abandonment of the Faith, or hatred of all beliefs, is not necessary. To hate any article of True Faith/Morals because it is taught by the Church will suffice. Therefore, Henry VIII did not have to abandon every belief of the Church. Denying divorce and remarriage is adultery and hating that belief because the Church teaches it as true, was sufficient without more, to establish an odium fidei.

6. A soldier who takes up arms to fight a just war is not to be considered a martyr if he dies. Hence, the one who dies must not be guilty of provocation---that he died because he didn't kill the other man first. The exception is with captured soldiers who, now unarmed, are given the option of death or apostasy.

The Holy Innocents: True Martyrs

December 28 is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the Catholic remembrance of the massacre of young children in Bethlehem by the wicked King Herod in his attempt to murder the Infant Jesus (St. Matthew 2:16–18). The Holy Innocents are true martyrs by reason #4 above:

 Infants, killed for the sake of the True Faith, by those who hate the True Faith, die as martyrs without any intention necessary. They receive Baptism of Blood (if unbaptized) and their salvation is assured. (e.g. The Holy Innocents). 

Fr. Gueranger in his monumental work, The Liturgical Year, Christmas Volume 1, Book 2, pgs. 278-284 discusses the Feast of the Holy Innocents. St. Bernard is quoted as saying:

Will anyone doubt whether a crown [i.e., martyrdom] was given to these Innocents? … If you ask me what merit could they have that God should crown them? Let me ask you what was the fault for which Herod slew them? What! Is the mercy of Jesus less than the cruelty of Herod? And whilst Herod could put these Babes to death, who had done him no injury, Jesus may not crown them for dying for Him?

We know infants and those deprived of reason can receive Baptism of Blood (BOB). (See theologian Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma,[1955], pg. 357). The great theologian, Cardinal Cajetan held that a pregnant woman who dies by BOB would have her unborn child share in her glory. The cardinal discussed this at the Council of Trent during deliberations on Baptism, and no Council Father objected to what he said (See theologian Dyer, Limbo: An Unsettled Question, [1963], pgs. 141-142). This seems to be the only case of the Church considering the killing of an unborn child as martyrdom; i.e., when his mother died a martyr. 

Answering "Divine Innocence:" Aborted Children are NOT Martyrs

Anyone interested in reading about the particulars of DeMenezes' "revelations" may read the website at divineinnocence.org. The substance of the alleged messages is told as follows from the site:

This message is not just for Catholics it is for the whole of humanity.  Our Lord said it was “to bring home the lost tribes of Israel, the lost peoples of every nation so that we may all be one.” (Message dated 26th May 2001)  ‘No more Jew or Gentile, no more slave or free man’ (Gal 3:28) but all one people and family through, with and in Christ, the Saviour of all mankind. Through this inspiration Our Lord requests that the Magisterium of the Holy Catholic Church proclaim the martyrdom of all children killed before birth (through abortion and exploitation of embryos). Once these children are claimed by the Universal Church, their martyr witness to the nations will be heard and given voice in the Church calling the people to be one Holy Family and people of God. We can draw upon the magnificent grace of their martyrdom because we will all know that they are saints in heaven. This message shows the important link between the Novitiate of the Holy Family and the claiming of these children from every nation by the Catholic Church as ‘Companion Martyrs of the first Holy Innocents’.

Interestingly, there are Vatican II sect clergy, recognized as theologians by the sect, that support these revelations, and actually petitioned the Modernist Vatican to recognize them and proclaim aborted babies as martyrs. As a result, the "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith" lead by Ratzinger under John Paul the Great Apostate, studied the issue. Surprisingly, the Congregation rejected recognition of the revelations and the designation of aborted babies as martyrs, giving four reasons--three of which are fairly accurate (proving that even a broken clock can be right twice every twenty-four hours).  In December of 2007, the answer of Ratzinger rejecting Divine Innocence stated they could not be accepted because of:

1. The exaggerated claims made for the Community of Divine Innocence.

2. The inappropriate words and phrases attributed to Jesus.

3. The questionable demand made concerning the status of aborted children.

4. The intemperate language used in the “Inspirations” when attacking Church authority.

I will give (a) the Modernist Congregation's assessment on each relevant point, (b) the response authored by DeMenezes and her Modernist theologians to the Congregation, and then (c) my commentary. 

The exaggerated claims made for the Community of Divine Innocence.

(a) De Menezes makes extravagant claims for the Community of Divine Innocence: “regarding all the different spiritualities and charisms within the Church, Our Lord showed me that they were like facets of a diamond, but the Way of Divine Innocence is the whole diamond”...At points an almost hysterical note enters the dialogue which is not compatible with a communication from the Word Incarnate: “Jesus: You are the beginnings of the New People of God’ (11.1.94)...

(b) Patricia states:

The whole diamond is all humanity, in the Holy Family and within the Church, as one Holy Family and people of God. Each community and order down the ages is one facet of the diamond. The community of Divine Innocence is also one facet of the diamond. When I studied jewellery (sic)I learnt that a stone cutter slowly releases the full brilliance of a diamond as it cuts each facet. Our Lord wants us all to understand the full vision of the whole diamond, so that we can co-operate with grace to bring about

that fullness which is the Church in all her glory. 

The statement “You are the beginnings of the New People of God” (11.1.94) is to be understood first as referring to the Church (cf. LG 9, 13). In every age there is a new People of God that responds to the newness of Christ’s definitive revelation...Those who respond to this message are indeed a "New People of God" in so far as they are members of the Catholic Church who truly live the spirituality of the Holy Family, which is the spirituality of the Church Herself, because it is centred (sic) on Christ.

(c) Divine Innocence is full of Modernist theology and cites exclusively to Vatican II and after; I did not see any pre-Vatican II Magisterial authorities cited. ("LG" refers to the damnable heretical document Lumen Gentium). The first statement about the whole "diamond" clearly implies that the Church is not a full, complete, and Perfect Society. The "People of God" is Vatican II-speak. Of course members of the Church die and go to their eternal destiny, while replaced by new members with their own set of challenges and victories. This in no way means the Church is somehow "new." 

The inappropriate words and phrases attributed to Jesus.

(a) The words and phrases attributed by De Menezes to Jesus in her ‘showings’ are at times strange and bizarre. They are not consonant with the sane and wise Gospel tradition. The ‘voice of Jesus’ which we hear in these revelations indulges again and again in a kind of colloquial chit-chat: “Jesus: So you don’t believe me? De Menezes: Sorry Lord it was just curiosity. Jesus: Curiosity killed the cat: let’s get back to St John. (4.12.93) Jesus: Tell them this university offers a Master’s Degree, your Lord and Master’s Degree, and I expect every student to attain First Class Honours with a P grade. P for perfection. (29.11.95). Menezes: Lord, the Way of Divine Innocence does not seem to be what the young want. . Jesus: What do the young want? Menezes: Excitement. Jesus: I can give them enough excitement to give them a heart attack!” (11.1.01)

(b) Patricia states:

What we ask to be considered with regard to the words and phrases attributed to Jesus is not only the style but the substance of the communication and whether this is consistent with Catholic teaching...The Gospel itself shows how Jesus sought to be intelligible in His teaching, using the language, phrases, sayings and examples familiar to the people of his time, for example “when you see a cloud rising in the west you say at once a shower is coming.” (Lk 12:54; Mt 11:17).

(c) That Christ would not express Himself in an unbecoming manner should be obvious. The lame attempt to claim He was using "language familiar to the people of His time," is laughable. Christ did use expressions about, e.g., how to try and discern the weather and make an analogy. He never spoke like some street punk. How about "ebonics" (i.e., African-American slang), would Jesus speak in ebonics? "Yo, man, don't be hatin' on my peeps. Chill, and keep the faith, yo." Please. 

The questionable demand made concerning the status of aborted children.

(a) The central message that De Menezes claims to have received since 1984, namely that the Church proclaim the martyrdom of all the innocent children deliberately killed before birth and acknowledge these unborn children as companion martyrs of the first Holy Innocents, is doctrinally problematic. A martyr is someone who bears witness to Christ. If the victims of abortion were to qualify for martyrdom it would then seem that all victims of any moral evil should be likewise deemed martyrs. De Menezes’ notion of a ‘Baptism of Love’ is not, as claimed, a development of doctrine. Rather it is an innovation which is difficult to harmonize with the teaching of the Church.

(b) Patricia states:

Although only one part of the inspiration, the request to the Magisterium to claim the children killed before birth for Christ and His Church involves many messages and requires detailed theological work in order to clarify how it may be possible, and why it is important. Through the help and guidance of a number of priests, some of them theologians of repute - and all of them loyal to the Church’s teaching - and through our own theological studies, we are fully aware of the doctrinal issues involved. Many

of the doctrinal issues surrounding the claiming have been addressed over the years.

(c) The Modernist Vatican should be informed that aborted infants as martyrs is far more than "problematic." I agree with them that "If the victims of abortion were to qualify for martyrdom it would then seem that all victims of any moral evil should be likewise deemed martyrs." The crazy idea of "Baptism of Love"(whereby the act of abortion allegedly renders the baby a martyr) is not found anywhere in the teaching of the Church, and is openly heretical. However, I do believe that Patricia De Menezes is correct in that it could be seen as a "development of [Modernist] doctrine" from Vatican II and its false popes. 

As to De Menezes' response: If Christ revealed this as truth, wouldn't He be able to explain it, so all could understand how it is possible and why it's important? She is still receiving "revelations" but gets no answers. The obvious reason is that the messages are false. 

The intemperate language used in the “Inspirations” when attacking Church authority.

As the "church" spoken of here is the Vatican II sect, there is no need to go into this reason as it is not relevant. 

Dire Practical and Theological Consequences

So-called Divine Innocence and the "Baptism of Love" whereby Christ crowns as martyrs all aborted infants, stems from the universalism of Vatican II and its "popes." 

From Vatican II:

This Church constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic unity. (Lumen Gentium, para. #8). This was the beginning of the Vatican II sect. The Church of Christ is not identical to the Roman Catholic Church, it merely subsists there in its "fullness" because it has all the "elements" of the Church of Christ. However, it subsists elsewhere too, according to how many "elements" each religion possesses. To have all the elements is best, but to have just some is good and also leads to salvation. Hence, paragraph #3 of Vatican II's Unitatis Redintegratio tells us Christ uses false sects as "a means of salvation." 

From Karol Wojtyla ("Pope" John Paul II):

Redemptor Hominis (1979), para. #13: Christ the Lord indicated this way especially, when, as the Council teaches, "by his Incarnation, he, the Son of God, in a certain way united himself with each man"(Emphasis in original). Continuing in the same encyclical, Wojtyla writes, Accordingly, what is in question here is man in all his truth, in his full magnitude. We are not dealing with the "abstract" man, but the real, "concrete", "historical" man. We are dealing with "each" man, for each one is included in the mystery of the Redemption and with each one Christ has united himself forever through this mystery. (Emphasis mine). This is universalism, plain and simple.

Evangelium Vitae (1995), para. #99: I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child.(Emphasis mine). This implies unbaptized children in the womb are saved.

From Joseph Ratzinger ("Pope" Benedict XVI): 

In April of 2007, The International Theological Commission, a committee of 30 Modernist theologians who advise the "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith" (the Modernist version of the Holy Office), issued a document entitled The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptized. The document is a de facto elimination of Limbo, a state where babies who die without baptism are preserved from the pain of sense, but suffer the loss of the Beatific Vision of God, yet enjoying some natural happiness. It is true that Limbo, the state of those who die in Original Sin only, is not a dogma of the Faith. You can deny Limbo and you would not thereby be a heretic. However, the problems with the "elimination" of Limbo are both many and serious.

• The implication of universal salvation is present no less than twelve times, in paragraphs #4, 6, 7, 8, 33, 43, 46, 52, 54, 57, 67, and 69. Montini ("Pope" Paul VI) has a funeral "mass" for unbaptized babies for the first time in 1970. (Para. #5). 

• It borrows from the heretical universal salvation teachings of Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar.

• Specifically cited in the document are the teachings of arch-heretics Fr. Karl Rahner, and Fr. Jacques Dupuis 

• Bottom line: Infants who have not been baptized go to Heaven because they have not committed any personal sins. They are not deprived of the Beatific Vision of God because everyone is entitled (!) to salvation.

From Jorge Bergoglio ("Pope" Francis):

Bergoglio believes in an "ecumenism of blood;" that members of false sects can be "martyrs." He stated on Vatican Radio, February 16, 2015:

"The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard,” said the Pope.  "It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ."

The Result: "Baptism of Love" is a Development of Vatican II

All the teachings from above lead inexorably to the following conclusions:

• Original Sin is denied
• It eliminates the necessity of Baptism. According to theologian Prummer, "Children of Catholic parents should be baptized at the earliest possible moment. Leo XIII fiercely condemned the postponing of Baptism of children" (See theologian Prummer, Handbook of Moral Theology,[1957] pg. 257)
• All people are saved. Hell, Purgatory, and Limbo are "outdated, negative theology"
• The Catholic Church is not the One True Church, outside of which no one is saved. All beliefs are more or less equally good and lead to Heaven

Building on this heretical edifice, martyrdom is no longer about dying for the True Faith, and killed by those who have an odium fidei. The "ecumenism of blood" means any faith (or even no faith--"atheists can go to Heaven")suffices, and no hatred for truth on the part of the killer is needed. Hence, why can't an unborn baby with no faith, who dies from a moral evil (abortion) be a martyr--Baptism of Love?

Divine Innocence had the audacity to claim St. Maria Goretti (infallibly canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XII in 1950), is a martyr who didn't die for the Faith--sheer blasphemy. St. Maria refused the sexual advances of her murderer, Alessandro Serenelli, because sex outside marriage is a mortal sin as taught by the Church. As he attempted to seduce her, the virtuous Maria told the scoundrel, "No! It is a sin! God does not want it!" Hating the doctrine of purity as the Church taught and as Maria lived by, he stabbed the saint to death. St. Maria Goretti died for the One True Faith by a man who hated its teaching about purity; she is a true martyr. 

Conclusion: "Abortion is good"

Pope Sixtus V taught in a 1588 Constitution that victims of abortion, being deprived of Baptism, are "excluded from Beatific Vision," hence abortion is a most grievous offense. If women are taught that unborn babies are not only destined for Heaven, but will receive a crown of exceptional glory for being martyrs, why not have an abortion? When fighting abortion it is of the utmost importance we declare that both their earthly life and eternal salvation with God in the Beatific Vision will be lost. Yes, they go to Hell (in the broad sense of the term), as they are separated from God. They are in a place or state not subject to the pain of sense or torture from demons, and probably a small degree of consolation/natural happiness. However, they have not reached the eternal destination for which all humans were created. Abortion is not some "ticket to Heaven as a martyr." God save us all, born and unborn, from the evils wrought by Vatican II.