杏MAP导航

The king promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. (MK 6:17-29)

The motivations for John the Baptist鈥檚 martyrdom

A woman played the primary role in his martyrdom. Herodias, the wife of Herod Antipas, was the former wife of his half-brother. John was arrested because he had denounced her illegal marriage. During the celebration of Herod鈥檚 birthday, Herodias鈥檚 daughter, Salome, performed a dance in honor of the king who remained enchanted and told her she could ask him for anything she wanted, even to half of his kingdom. After consulting her mother, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist. Herod did not want to do it, but could not refuse: he had, after all, made a promise.

杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 commentary

There are four characters: King Herod 鈥渃orrupt and indecisive鈥�; Herodias, the wife of the king鈥檚 brother who 鈥渒new only how to hate鈥�; Salome, 鈥渢he vain ballerina鈥�, and the 鈥減rophet, decapitated and alone in his cell鈥�.

The king

The king 鈥渂elieved John the Baptist was a prophet鈥�. Initially, he protected John and 鈥渓iked to listen鈥� to him. But he kept him in prison. He was indecisive because John had accused him of the sin of adultery. Herod 鈥渉eard God鈥檚 voice鈥� in the prophet, 鈥渢elling him to 鈥榗hange your life鈥�. But he did not succeed in doing that. The king was corrupt. It is difficult to get out of corruption鈥�. His corruption led him to attempt to strike a 鈥渄iplomatic balance鈥� between his own life, which was not only adulterous, but also 鈥渇illed with many injustices that he kept going ahead with鈥�. He was also aware of the 鈥渉oliness of the prophet that was before him鈥�. But he did not succeed in untying the knot.

Herodias

The second character is Herodias, the wife of the king鈥檚 brother who was put to death by Herod in order to have her. The Gospel says she 鈥渉ated鈥� John鈥� because he spoke with clarity. 鈥淲e know that hatred is capable of anything鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis commented. Indeed, 鈥渉atred is a great power. Hatred is the breath of Satan. Think about it: he does not know how to love, he cannot love. His 鈥榣ove鈥� is 鈥榟atred鈥�. And this woman possessed the satanic spirit of hatred鈥� that destroys.

Salome

Finally, the third character, the daughter of Herodias, Salome, the wonderful dancer, 鈥渨ho so pleased the guests and the king鈥�. In his enthusiasm, Herod promised the girl, 鈥淚 will give you everything鈥�. 鈥淗e uses the same words that satan used to tempt Jesus. 鈥業f you adore me, all this is yours鈥�.鈥� But Herod could not have known.

John the Baptist, a holy man

鈥淪atan is behind all these characters. He sows hatred in the woman, vanity in the young woman and corruption in the king鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 concluded. John, 鈥渢he greatest man born of a woman died alone in a cell because of the whim of a vain dancer, the hatred of a diabolical woman and the corruption of an indecisive king. The Baptist dies a martyr. Not a martyr of the faith, because he was not asked to renounce it. He is a martyr of truth. He was, in fact, a 鈥渞ighteous and holy man鈥� (Mk 6:20) who was put to death because he spoke freely and was faithful to his calling. He is a martyr who allowed himself to diminish so as to leave his place to the Messiah. 鈥淭hose who are great end up like this!鈥�. But John knew he had to be annihilated: 鈥淗e must increase, I, instead, decrease鈥�. And, added 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渉e decreased to the point of death鈥�. John had pointed Jesus out to His first disciples, indicating that He was the Light of the world. He, instead, gave his life little by little, to the point of being extinguished in the darkness of a prison cell.
鈥淟ife has value only when we give it; when it is given in love, in truth; when we give it to others, in daily life, in our families. It should always be given. If someone grasps his or her life in order to keep it, like the king by his corruption, or the woman with her hatred, or the child, the young girl with her vanity that was that of an adolescent, naive, life dies, life ends up withered, it is useless鈥� (Homily of 杏MAP导航 Francis, Santa Marta, 8 February 2019).