I once read somewhere that more martyrs died for their faith in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries of Christianity combined. Notwithstanding the population explosion in recent years, I’m not sure how such records could be substantively verified, with countless unnamed and “invisible” saints making the ultimate sacrifice for their discipleship in every generation. Regardless, we know that a vast number of individuals around the world suffered persecution for their faith in recent decades, and certainly still do today. Not all of these heroes were clergy or religious.
Take for example the life and death of Blessed Peter To Rot, born in Papua New Guinea in 1912. The modern state of Papua New Guinea, located within a part of Oceania called Melanesia near the Solomon Islands, was the setting for violent skirmishes during the Second World War. To Rot was a lay Catholic native to the region, and esteemed by his compatriots for his courage and holiness. Pope John Paul II described him as follows:
“[Peter] was a devoted husband, a loving father and a dedicated catechist known for his kindness, gentleness and compassion. Daily Mass and holy Communion, and frequent visits to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, sustained him, gave him wisdom to counsel the disheartened, and courage to persevere until death. In order to be an effective evangelizer, Peter To Rot studied hard and sought advice from wise and holy ‘big men’ [or island chieftains]. Most of all he prayed – for himself, for his family, for his people, for the church. His witness to the Gospel inspired others, in very difficult situations, because he lived his Christian life so purely and joyfully. Without being aware of it, he was preparing throughout his life for his greatest offering: by dying daily to himself, he walked with his Lord on the road which leads to Calvary.”
To Rot was eventually imprisoned by the Japanese for his refusal to support their plan of mandating polygamous marriages on the island for politically manipulative purposes. The military judged him a threat because of his relationships with the people of the island, which held influential sway with other Catholic and Methodist believers. He was taken into a cell by a “medical staff” even though he continued to claim that he was not unwell. In a disturbing sequence of events, it is believed that he was bound, had his ears and nose stuffed with cotton, injected with poison, and eventually choked to death on his own vomit. His catechist’s cross had been smuggled into the makeshift prison/”medical facility” and was with him until the end.
To Rot’s life and death were a testament to the mysterious call heard by people around the world to serve God. In vastly different situations and eras, men, women and children are irresistibly drawn to the Gospel and to the divine reality to which it gives witness. As theologian Karl Rahner once put it strikingly, in words which perhaps bring to mind To Rot’s Oceanic surroundings, “Why have You kindled in me the flame of faith, this dark light which lures us out of the bright security of our little huts into Your night?”
Something (or Someone) again and again calls human beings of every time, place and religious perspective to transcend their own egoistic interests and experience love and service in ways which seem foolishness to the world, and yet have lasting impact.
Michael M. Canaris, Ph.D., of Collingswood is a Research Associate at Durham University’s Centre for Catholic Studies in Northeast England.
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