Can Non-Catholics Be Martyrs? A Debate Over Catholic Teaching
The Council of Florence taught that salvation requires perseverance in the Catholic Church. Read strictly, this appears to rule out recognising non-Catholics as martyrs. That seems clear to me. Yet later statements attributed to Paul VI and John Paul II recognise martyrs from other Christian traditions, including Anglicans, Orthodox Christians and Protestants. These statements appear to conflict with the earlier teaching. How should Catholics understand this apparent change? The quotations cited here are from the Council of Florence, Paul VI’s 1969 Angelus address, John Paul II’s *Ut Unum Sint*, and a 1999 general audience.
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