By Patrick Rupinen, Staff Writer
A supreme act of love is what is necessary for one to be considered a martyr. As Pope Benedict XVI stated, “The martyrs of the past and those of our time gave and gave life (effusio sanguinis) freely and consciously in a supreme act of love, witnessing to their faithfulness to Christ, to the Gospel and to the Church.” It will be 24 years tomorrow since Father Mychal Judge gave his life freely ministering and being a witness for Christ in the North Tower on 9/11.
Martyrdom has two requirements: willingly giving up one’s life and the persecutors’ hatred of the faith or principles of the faith. Father Mychal clearly fulfills both of these conditions for martyrdom.
The firefighters who entered the towers knew that it was probably going to be their last job. Fr. Mychal knew that this would be his last one, too. He had alluded to his fellow Franciscan Priests that he knew his time was coming and God would be calling him soon. Yet, Fr. Mychal continued into the lobby of the North Tower wearing his turnout jacket and white helmet.
Fr. Mychal lived a life devoted to others, and although he was human and made mistakes, that should not be a reason for him not to become a martyr.
Fr. Mychal ministered to those at the World Trade Center, saying the Our Father with firefighters before they entered the tower. He stayed in the lobby quietly, praying for the intercession of God as bodies rained down from the sky. He was a representative of the faith that day, providing a prayerful presence as firefighters trooped past him, heading up into the tower to rescue people.
Fr. Mychal went beyond the duty of any chaplain that day. No other chaplain went into the towers as they were burning, but Fr. Mychal did. He did so because he loved his parishioners, the men of the New York Fire Department and the people of New York City. He knew that they were going to need him that day, and so he went. If that is not considered a supreme act of love, then I do not know what is.
Another part of martyrdom is that the persecutors show a clear hatred for the Catholic Faith and its core ideals. I think it is safe to say that the 9/11 attacks show a clear hatred for belief in the sanctity of life and human dignity.
St. Maximillian Kolbe is considered a martyr under the same circumstances; the Nazi’s hatred of human life and dignity constituted a hatred of the faith. It would seem to me that Fr. Mychal’s death should be attributed to a hatred of Catholic values and hatred of the Faith.
The reason why the case for Fr. Mychal’s canonization has not begun is because he was gay. Fr. Mychal was an imperfect man and a sinner who broke his vows of celibacy to have a romantic affair with a male Filipino nurse. It is a fact that cannot be ignored. However, I would argue that this moral failing should not overwrite years of selfless service to the people of New York, nor his final act of martyrdom
In fact, are we not imperfect people who sin and cause harm to others? Does this mean that God cannot call us to be martyrs for our faith? A great case to point to is St. Andreas Wouters, a saint who before his martyrdom, was known to be an alcoholic and to have potentially fathered multiple children. He died proclaiming “Fornicator I always was; heretic I never was.” If God can call him to be a martyr, why would he not call Fr. Mychal?
Another reason why the process for Fr. Mychal’s canonization has not begun is because he ministered to the LGBTQ+ community of New York City. During the AIDS crisis, Fr. Mychal was one of the few priests who would give funerals to AIDS victims. He believed in showing kindness, not judgment.
The Archdiocese of New York would rather hide Fr. Mychal than come to terms with the fact that they failed their flock. Instead of caring for the sheep who went astray, they focused on shunning them from the flock. Mychal did not care if the sheep went astray or became sick, he saw them for who they were: God’s children.
Fr. Mychal was a kind and caring man who cared deeply for everyone he saw and was a friend to all. His life and actions before 9/11 are enough for many to consider him for Sainthood.
His final act was one of supreme selfless love. He stayed with his parishioners in their final moments, choosing death rather than abandoning them. That is why he should be considered for sainthood.