An Episcopal bishop’s remarks urging clergy to prepare for what he described as a possible “new era of martyrdom” have drawn national attention as religious leaders respond to heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States.
According to the Associated Press, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire made the comments earlier this month during a vigil honoring Renee Good, a woman fatally shot on January 7 by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer while she was seated in her vehicle. Federal officials have stated that the officer acted in self-defense as the vehicle began to move forward, an explanation disputed by several state and local leaders based on video footage of the incident.
Speaking at the vigil, Hirschfeld referenced historical Christian figures who risked or lost their lives while protecting others. Among them was Jonathan Daniels, a New Hampshire seminary student killed in Alabama in 1965 while shielding a young Black civil rights activist, according to AP News.
“I have told the clergy of the Episcopal diocese of New Hampshire that we may be entering into that same witness,” Hirschfeld said, according to the Associated Press. “And I’ve asked them to get their affairs in order, to make sure they have their wills written, because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies, to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.”
Hirschfeld did not advocate violence, instead emphasizing a Christian willingness to face death without fear. “Those of us who are ready to build a new world, we also have to be prepared,” he said. “If we truly want to live without fear, we cannot fear even death itself, my friends,” according to AP News.
Other Episcopal leaders have echoed similar themes in recent days. The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Sean W. Rowe, said during a prayer service that Christians should continue “resisting, advocating, bearing witness and repairing the breach,” while caring for immigrants and refugees “because they are beloved by God,” according to the Associated Press.
In Minnesota, Bishop Craig Loya urged restraint and charity, calling on Christians not to respond to hatred with hatred but to act in love in what he described as “a world obviously not fine,” according to AP News.
For Catholic readers, the comments have emerged amid ongoing Church teaching that emphasizes both the dignity of the human person and the pursuit of justice through peaceful means. While the Catholic Church honors martyrdom as the supreme witness to faith in Christ, it also consistently teaches that prudence, respect for life, and lawful authority must guide Christian engagement in social and political conflicts.
As debate continues over immigration enforcement and public safety, Church leaders across Christian traditions are navigating how to call believers to moral witness without inflaming division, seeking to uphold human dignity while encouraging peace, prayer, and charity in a deeply polarized moment.
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