A Pastoral Exhortation on Martyrdom, Sacrificial Love, and the Witness of Alex Pretti
Brothers and sisters in Christ,
There are moments when the Gospel confronts us so starkly that neutrality becomes betrayal. There are moments when silence itself is a sin. This is one of those moments.
Our Lord Jesus Christ declares without qualification:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
(John 15:13)
Yet the love Christ proclaims does not end with “friends.” He commands us to love the stranger, the enemy, the one cast down by the powers of this world. And it is precisely here—in love offered where no bond exists—that the Cross is revealed most clearly.
Love Beyond Friendship: The Stranger as Christ
Saint John Chrysostom leaves no ambiguity:
“If you see someone in danger and do not act, you have become a participant in the evil done to them.”
(Homilies on Matthew, Homily 50)
Alex Pretti did not step forward to protect a friend.
He did not intervene for family.
He did not act for recognition.
He intervened for a stranger, a woman being harmed by those wielding state power. In doing so, he enacted the Gospel more faithfully than many who speak Christ’s name while remaining safely distant from suffering.
Saint Basil the Great speaks with terrifying clarity:
“The bread you do not use is the bread of the hungry;
the cloak you store away is the cloak of the naked;
the gold you hoard belongs to the poor.”
(Homily on Luke 12:18)
To Basil, inaction in the face of suffering is violence.
By this measure, Alex Pretti’s action was not heroic excess—it was basic Christian obedience.
Martyrdom Is Not Sought — It Is Accepted
The Church Fathers are careful: martyrdom is never reckless, never theatrical. It is not suicide. It is not provocation. It is faithfulness when escape is no longer possible.
Saint Cyprian of Carthage writes:
“The martyr is not crowned because he seeks death,
but because he refuses to abandon love when threatened by death.”
(Epistle 81)
Alex Pretti did not threaten violence.
He did not draw a weapon.
He did not resist with force.
Even though he was legally permitted to carry, the weapon remained holstered. Video evidence shows it being removed from his person by agents, directly contradicting false narratives used to justify his killing.
Eight shots were fired into an unarmed, defenseless man.
Saint Ambrose of Milan speaks with judgment that should make every Christian tremble:
“He who strikes down the innocent bears the mark of Cain,
even if he claims the authority of the law.”
(On the Duties of the Clergy, Book I)
The Fathers are unambiguous: law does not sanctify injustice. Authority does not absolve murder.
Christ Confronts Violent Power — So Must His Church
The early Church knew exactly what it meant to face “government-sanctioned force.” They buried their dead at the hands of soldiers, magistrates, and emperors.
Saint Justin Martyr writes to the Roman authorities:
“You may kill us, but you cannot harm us.”
(Second Apology)
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, walking knowingly toward execution, proclaims:
“Let me be an imitator of the suffering of my God.”
(Letter to the Romans)
Alex Pretti did not seek death—but like Christ, he did not flee love when it became dangerous.
Christ Himself stood unarmed before armed men.
Christ Himself was struck while offering no resistance.
Christ Himself was executed by the machinery of the state.
Saint Athanasius states:
“The Lord did not resist violence with violence,
but absorbed it, breaking its power by love.”
(On the Incarnation)
This is not weakness.
This is the power of the Cross.
Righteous Anger Is Not Sin
What you feel—what many feel—is not hatred. It is not vengeance. It is righteous anger, born of love violated and truth denied.
Saint Gregory the Theologian teaches:
“Anger against injustice is not sin,
but indifference to injustice is.”
(Oration 14)
To call this killing “tragic” without calling it wrong is moral cowardice.
To hide behind procedure while a man bleeds out is spiritual bankruptcy.
Saint Augustine is relentless:
“An unjust law is no law at all.”
(On Free Choice of the Will)
And elsewhere:
“Hope has two daughters: anger and courage.
Anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain so.”
Martyr, Hero, Saint — and a Judgment on Us All
The Church does not rush to canonize—but she does recognize witness.
The Greek word martyr means one who testifies.
Alex Pretti testified:
- That love is stronger than fear
- That strangers are worth defending
- That the vulnerable are not expendable
- That violence cannot be the final word
Saint Maximus the Confessor writes:
“The one who loves God cannot help but love every human being as himself.”
By that measure, Alex Pretti stands as a martyr of mercy,
a hero of conscience,
and an indictment of a society that kills its healers while calling it order.
This must end.
Not with riots.
Not with revenge.
But with truth spoken plainly, justice demanded boldly, and a Church that remembers who she follows.
Christ is still being crucified in His brothers and sisters.
And the question before us is the same it has always been:
Will we pass by on the other side—or will we step forward, even when it costs us everything?
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:10)
Amen.