"Even this XXI century began in the sign of martyrdom", because, "when the Christians are really the yeast, the light and the salt of the earth, they also become, as it happened for Jesus, the victims of persecutions; like Him, they are a sign of contradiction". It was said by the Pope, who, in the last part of his visit to the Basilica of Saint Bartholomew, pointed out that "fraternal cohabitation, love, faith, making choices for the smaller and poorer, which mark the life of the Christian community, sometimes arouse violent aversion". "How helpful it is to look at the bright testimony of those who came before us, in the sign of a heroic faithfulness that went so far as martyrdom!", exclaimed Benedict XVI, mentioning "the memory of so many witnesses of the faith who have recently fallen", which is preserved in the Basilica. Then, an invitation to the "friends of the Comunità di Sant’Egidio": "By looking to these heroes of faith exhorted the Holy Father , you too strive to imitate their courage and perseverance in serving the Gospel, especially amongst the poor. Be the builders of peace and reconciliation among those who are enemies or fight each other. Nourish your faith by listening to and meditating on God’s Word, through daily prayer, through a proactive participation in Holy Mass", so as to "help build a more fraternal world".
