Cardinal Chomali: 21st-century Christian ‘will either be a martyr or will not be a Christian’

Cardinal Fernando Chomali, archbishop of Santiago, Chile. / Credit: Courtesy of Archdioceses of Santiago, Chile

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 11, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

“The Christian of the 21st century will either be a martyr or will not be a Christian,” the archbishop of Santiago and primate of Chile, Cardinal Fernando Chomali, said during a seminar about the role of faith in public life. 

The cardinal made the remark during his presentation at the seminar “And in Everything Charity,” which took place on the occasion of the centenary of Pope Pius XI’s encyclical Quas Primas.

The seminar’s title was inspired by a quote from St. Augustine. Organizations including the Catholic University of Chile’s law department, Community and Justice, and the ConBoca Foundation collaborated to host an event highlighting charity as the central pillar uniting social, cultural, and political efforts.

Chomali opened his presentation with a statement about the current reality: “We are glutted with everything: with words, with discourse, with so-called freedoms. But at the same time, we are full of nothing.”

Referring to the role of faith in today’s society and the need for a solid spirituality, the cardinal noted that “today we need witnesses. More than teachers, people who know Jesus, who love him, who follow him. Not with ideas, but with their lives.”

He also warned about two common temptations surrounding faith: spiritualizing everything and retreating into small circles. “The Church cannot be closed off. It’s not about doing missions from time to time but about living with a missionary attitude. What attracts people are not speeches but actions,” he observed.

Chomali affirmed that “the Christian of the 21st century will either be a martyr or will not be a Christian,” clarifying that “it’s not about seeking persecution but about living radically; obeying God before men.”

‘Evangelizing is by nature a political act’

The archbishop of Santiago elaborated on the importance of faith in social transformation, affirming that “every human project without grace ends in frustration.”

He warned that charity cannot be reduced to cordiality or philanthropy but rather “must be the soul of Christian politics” and that this requires “formation, prayer, and consistency.”

Making a distinction between politics and ideology, the cardinal asserted that “evangelizing is by nature a political act, because it seeks the common good.”

The best thing we can offer society, he maintained, is to proclaim Christ, because “from him we understand human dignity. And only from him can we live with hope.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.