Jonathan Roumie, the actor known for portraying Jesus Christ in the hit series The Chosen, is calling attention this Lent to the 21 Christian martyrs who died in Libya for their faith in Jesus 11 years ago. Source: OSV News.
“Their story helps strengthen our own resolve, especially when we are weak in areas of our life, in moments of our life where we need stronger faith,” Roumie said at an event honouring the martyrs, held in Washington on February 22.
“We can look to them and say, ‘They died for Jesus. What am I doing to live for him today?’”
Roumie, a Catholic, spoke during a press conference at the sold-out event, “21 Martyrs: Knelt but Not Broken,” held at the Museum of the Bible.
Organised by Coptic Orphans, a nonprofit serving vulnerable children in Egypt, and the museum, the event remembered the martyrs, all but one of whom were Coptic Orthodox men from Egypt.
The other, St Matthew Ayariga, was a migrant labourer from Ghana, and when questioned about his faith, he declared, “Their God is my God”.
Their brutal beheading on a Libyan beach, captured on camera, came at the hands of Islamic State militants in 2015.
Throughout the evening, speakers recognised the martyrs – canonised by the Coptic Orthodox Church and so honoured in the Catholic Church – as ordinary men of extraordinary faith.
The event opened with a walk-through exhibit exploring the history of the Coptic people, the story of the 21 martyrs, and the work of Coptic Orphans.
The evening also featured remarks from political and religious leaders, a screening of “The 21 (an animated film about the martyrs, executive produced by Roumie), a musical performance, and an address from the brother of one of the martyrs.
Adel Soliman remembered his brother, St Maged Soliman, while speaking in words translated to English on the screen behind him. He described his brother as a man who expressed his faith quietly and strength humbly. They were raised, he said, “to believe that our lives are in God’s hands”.
“Today, when you remember the 21 martyrs, don’t think only of the sea stained with their blood,” he said. “Remember that the martyrs did not leave this world. They simply went ahead of us to heaven – and their faith became a living message inside of us, not just a story we tell about them.”
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‘Chosen’ actor Jonathan Roumie honours 21 Christian martyrs at Museum of the Bible event (By Katie Yoder, OSV News)
