In early Irish usage (for example, the Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee, or
the Martyrology of Tallaght), "martyr" appears to be synonymous with
"saint." They acknowledged several forms of martyrdom, in the original
sense of "witness" to the faith--red martyrdom (self-explanatory), the
white martyrdom of a life of heroic virtue, and the green (or blue,
depending on translator) life of penitence.
Phyllis
>In a message dated 1999-08-06 11:20:41 Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask]
>writes:
>
>> In his article "The Early Church in Dumfriesshire and its Monuments"
>> (TDGNHAS, iii, XII, 1926), W.G. Collingwood makes reference to the
>> Martyrologium Usuardi where St. Kentigern appears as "bishop of Glasgow
>> and confessor".
>
><snip>
>
>> Finally, I am a bit perplexed as to why Kentigern should appear in a
>> martyrology, anyway. The only martyrdom involved in his Vita seems to have
>> been his being kicked around a little by the wicked Morken. Was being
>> appointed to a see in Scotland considered a fate worse than death?
>> I look forward to the usual erudite comments from fellow list-members.
>>
>> Henry Gough-Cooper@Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
>
>The answer to your question is buried in the first part of your message,
>although you may not have realized its significance. A "confessor" in
>this context is not somebody who hears confessions but somebody
>who suffered for declaring or "confessing" his faith but was not killed for
>it. "Being kicked around a little" just might be enough to qualify St.
>Kentigern as a "confessor".
>
>-- David Knott
>
Phyllis G. Jestice
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