REGENSBURG, Germany (LifeSiteNews) — Three German Catholic theologians are calling for the traditional presentation of St. Maria Goretti as a “martyr of purity” to be dropped in light of modern psychology trends.

On July 6, the official news website of the German Bishops’ Conference, Katholisch.de, published an article written by theologians Philippa Haase, Judith König, and Ute Leimgruber, calling for a reassessment of the long-standing portrayal of St. Maria Goretti as a “martyr of purity.” The group argues that the traditional interpretation can have harmful consequences for victims of sexual violence.

“The problem is not forgiveness itself,” the authors write, “but the sequence and the hidden appeal directed at the victim: resist, remain ‘pure,’ forgive, and, if necessary, die. There is no comparable demand placed on the (potential) perpetrator.”

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The article recounts the historical events surrounding Maria Goretti, who was born in Italy in 1890. On July 5, 1902, the 11-year-old was attacked by 20-year-old Alessandro Serenelli, who attempted to rape her. After she resisted, Serenelli repeatedly stabbed her. She died from her injuries the following day, forgiving her killer.

According to the authors, the Church quickly interpreted her death as martyrdom, emphasizing that she had sacrificed her life to preserve her purity. They note that after Pope Pius XII canonized Maria Goretti in 1950, generations of Catholic girls were presented with her as a model, accompanied by the message that death is preferable to surrendering one’s sexual purity.

Haase, König, and Leimgruber argue that this emphasis “shifts attention away” from the fact that St. Maria Goretti was first and foremost an 11-year-old child who became the victim of a violent crime. They maintain that the traditional hagiographical presentation focused primarily on two expectations placed upon the victim: “preserving sexual purity and forgiving her attacker.”

The authors also draw attention to a detail from the canonization process, stating that Serenelli reportedly referred to the girl’s beauty and physical development as mitigating circumstances. They identify this as an example of what modern violence research describes as “rape myths,” narratives that shift attention from the perpetrator’s responsibility to the victim’s body or behavior.

Their article further argues that describing St. Maria Goretti as a “martyr of purity” rests upon several assumptions. First, they say, “physical virginity is equated with moral purity.” Second, they argue that such language can suggest that even “sexual violence committed against a woman affects her moral purity.” Third, they contend that the traditional formula, often summarized as “death is better than sin,” implies that preserving sexual purity takes precedence over preserving life itself.

To support their argument, the authors cite testimony contained in the abuse report commissioned by the Diocese of Fulda. They quote one survivor who recalled repeatedly being asked to portray St. Maria Goretti resisting sexual assault, an experience she described as frightening because it became intertwined with her own abuse.

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The article also examines the traditional account of St. Maria Goretti forgiving Serenelli before her death. The three German theologians note the later narrative that Serenelli experienced a conversion while in prison after a vision of Maria presenting him with lilies, eventually entering religious life and attending her canonization ceremony. The authors argue that this presentation risks placing “additional moral expectations upon victims by linking sanctity with forgiving one’s attacker.”

Concluding their intervention, Haase, König, and Leimgruber state that the experiences of abuse survivors demonstrate how narratives encouraging girls and women to prefer death to sexual violence can reinforce “shame and self-blame.” They argue that the category of “martyrs of purity should no longer be maintained,” particularly in light of the experiences of “thousands of women and girls who have suffered abuse within the Catholic Church.”

The traditional devotion to St. Maria Goretti has never been historically understood by the Church as a condemnation of sexual abuse victims. Rather, it has been presented as a witness to chastity, courage, and forgiveness in the face of evil. Pope Pius XII, at her canonization, upheld her example as one of heroic virtue rather than victim-blaming.

For many Catholics, St. Maria Goretti remains a symbol of fidelity to Christ and of the conviction that moral integrity can be preserved even amid grave suffering.

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