At his Angelus audience on December 26, the feast of St. Stephen, Pope Francis spoke about martyrdom and the persecution of Christians today.
The Pope recalled that Saul was an active participant in the death of St. Stephen. But “through Stephen’s witness, the Lord is already preparing Saul’s heart, unbeknownst to him,” preparing for his dramatic conversion.
Today, the Pope continued, Christians who suffer from persecution “may also seem to be failures, but today we see that it is not the case.” Their powerful witness serves the cause of Christ and furthers the spread of the Gospel.