Three different groups of martyrs, nearly 200 in total, are beatified in celebrations in the Cathedrals of Jaen, Spain, and Notre Dame in Paris.
By Pierfrancesco Loreto
On Saturday, December 13, two Masses were celebrated respectively in the Cathedral of Jaen in Spain and at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris for the beatification of Venerable Servants of God, men and women who gave their lives to remain faithful to christ in times of persecution.
In the first instance, 124 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War were beatified in a celebration presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
As the Jaen Diocese itself recalls, these people made the ultimate sacrifice “for the love of Christ,” and their example continues today to encourage the faith of the whole community.
Choosing the 124 martyrs has involved a research process that dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s. The object of the inquiries was to show that, in fact, they were killed solely because of their faith, “and not for other motives,” the Delegate for the Cause of the Saints, Andres Najera, said.
“In a violent and aggressive world,with a lack of respect for ideologies and beliefs,the 124 [Servants of God] made a difference by affirming that violence is not the solution; the answer comes from forgiveness,and this is the lesson that the Gospel gives us.The world needs goodness,” he added.
The Venerable Servants of God of the diocese of Jaén were killed in various places and at different times during the Spanish Civil War, which featured elements of cruel anti-Catholic persecution.