"Ekumenizm krwi" jako znak jedności chrześcijan.

Dominika Pruszczyńska

doi:10.25167/so.5916

Published: 2025-12-18

Vol. 25 (2025)

„Ecumenism of blood” as a sign of the unity of Christians

Dominika Pruszczyńska

Studia Oecumenica

Section: Dialogi ekumeniczne i międzyreligijne

https://doi.org/10.25167/so.5916

Abstract

Eight years after the brutal murder of twenty Coptic Christians and one Ghanaian citizen, executed on a Libyan beach by terrorists of the so-called Islamic State, Pope Francis inscribed their names in the Martyrology of the Roman Catholic Church as saintly martyrs. This event, bearing both spiritual and ecclesial significance, once again drew the attention of theologians to the phenomenon known as the "ecumenism of blood" - the concept that shared suffering and the testimony of faith, even unto martyrdom, regardless of denominational affiliation, can constitute a real sign of Christian unity. The aim of this article is to offer a theological reflection on the "ecumenism of blood" in the context of the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church. The analysis will focus on the significance of martyrdom as a factor that brings Christian communities closer together, and on the question of whether the witness of the martyrs can be understood as a form of real, though incomplete, communion - a visible sign of unity "here and now." These reflections are set within the broader context of the contemporary ecumenical movement, which, rather than limiting itself to doctrinal dialogue, seeks to go deeper, exploring paths toward unity in the concrete reality - in this case, the reality of religious persecution — that surrounds us.

Keywords:

Coptic Church, martyrdom, ecumenism of blood, persecution, Open Doors

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Pruszczyńska, D. (2025). „Ecumenism of blood” as a sign of the unity of Christians. Studia Oecumenica, 25, 129–144. https://doi.org/10.25167/so.5916

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