The 233 Spanish Martyrs, also referred to as The Martyrs of Valencia or
Jose Aparico Sanz and 232 Companions, were a group of
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
s from the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
, who were
beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
in March 2001 by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
. This was the largest number of persons beatified at once up to that time. They originated from all parts of Spain but mostly served and died in the diocese of
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
.
Background
The 233 martyrs were
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
,
religious
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...
and
lay persons of the
diocese of Valencia who were executed during the
Red Terror of the Spanish Civil War. Some 6,000 clergy and religious were executed in Spain during this period; of these over 2,000 have been proposed for
canonization. They are regarded by the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
as
Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War
During the Spanish Civil War Catholic people faced persecution from the Republican faction of the war, in part due to their support of the nationalists and the recently abolished monarchy. The Catholic Church venerates them as martyrs. More t ...
.
The 233 martyrs were made up of 16 separate
causes, mostly groups but also some individuals who have been proposed for canonization. The earliest cause was opened in 1952 (that of Tomas Sitjar Fortia and his companions). Most causes were opened in the 1950s, though none were accepted by the
CCS until 1990. The most recent cause (Maria Giner Gomis) was opened in 1995 and completed in five years. This was not the first group of Spanish martyrs beatified by John Paul II, though it was the largest up to that time.
Ceremony
The beatifications were announced at a ceremony in Rome on 11 March 2001, presided over by Pope
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
.
In his homily he preached on the
Transfiguration and pointed to the example of the martyr's sacrifice, and urged the church in Spain to be worthy of their example. He observed that they were men and women of all ages, and states (clergy, religious, lay persons) and that they had been killed for professing their faith.
He pointed out that the martyrs had died forgiving their enemies, and expressed the hope that their example would help to remove the end of hatred and resentment still felt in Spain from those times.
Controversy
The issue of the Spanish martyrs is controversial, not least because of the Spanish churches
identification with the
Nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
cause during the civil war.
However John Paul pointed out, generally and in specifics, that those who died in these cases “were not involved in political or ideological struggles nor did they want to be concerned with them” and that “they died solely for religious motives”.
Individuals
John Paul II made special mention of Maria Teresa Ferragud, one of the lay companions from Valencia; an 83-year-old woman, she was executed along with her four daughters (companions of Aurelio Ample Alcaide), all nuns in
contemplative
In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with prayer or meditation.
Etymology
The word ''contemplation'' is derived from the Latin word '' ...
orders.
[Homily pt2.4] He also made special mention of Francesco Castello Aleu, a 22 yr old layman, and German Gozalba, at age 23 just 2 months into the priesthood.
He also made reference to Consuela and Maria Dolores Aguiar-Mella, two lay companions of Maria Baldilou Bullit, and the first people from
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
to be beatified.
The 233 martyrs
The 233 martyrs were advanced in 16 separate causes :
* Jose Aparicio Sanz and 73 companions, clergy and laypersons of the Diocese of Valencia, including
Amalia Abad Casasempere Amalia Abad Casasempere (11 December 1897 – 21 September 1936) was a Catholic woman killed in Alcoy, Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. She was born in Alcoy and was a widow and mother of two daughters, and she was very active in the service of ...
* Jacinto Serrano Lopez and 19 companions of the
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of ...
* Pascual Fortuna Almela and 4 companions of the
Friars Minor
The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachi ...
* Alfonso Lopez Lopez and 6 companions of the
Friars Minor Conventual
The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv) is a male religious fraternity in the Roman Catholic Church that is a branch of the Franciscans. The friars in OFM CONV are also known as Conventual Franciscans, or Minorites.
Dating back to ...
* Aurelio Ample Alcaide and 16 companions of the
Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...
,
* Josefa Masia Ferragud, a nun of the
Discalced Augustinians
The Order of Discalced Augustinians (; abbreviation: OAD) is a mendicant order that branched off from the Order of Saint Augustine as a reform movement.
History
During the Counter-Reformation, there was a special interest among the Augustinian f ...
* Tomas Sitjar Fortia and 11 companions of the
Society of Jesus
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, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
* Jose Calasanz Marques and 28 companions of the
Salesian Society
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, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
, abbreviation = SDB
, formation =
, founder = John Bosco
, founding_location = Valdocco, Turin ...
, and two
Daughters of Mary
* Vicente Cabanes Badenas and 18 companions of the
Third Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
* Mariano García Méndez (
Juan María de la Cruz), a priest of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus
* Leonardo Olivera Buera and 5 companions of the
Christian Brothers, also 24
Carmelite Sisters of Charity
* Maria Ricart Olmos, a nun of the
Servite Order
The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary ( la, Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothe ...
* Maria Baldillou Bullit and 5 companions, nuns of the
Sisters of the Pious Schools, and 2 laywomen of that order
* Josefa Ruano Garcia and Dolores Puig Bonany, nuns of the
Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly
* Victoria Quintana Argos and 2 companions of the
Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Holy Family
* Maria Giner Gomis, a
Claretian Sister
* Francisco Castello y Aleu, layman of
Catholic Action
Catholic Action is the name of groups of lay Catholics who advocate for increased Catholic influence on society. They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, I ...
in
Lleida
Notes
References
Martyrs of Valencia, at gcatholic
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spanish Martyrs, 233
Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War
20th-century venerated Christians
Spanish beatified people
Lists of Christian martyrs
Groups of Christian martyrs of the Late Modern era
Roman Catholic child blesseds
Executed children
History of Catholicism in Spain
Martyred groups
Martyred Roman Catholic priests
Groups of Roman Catholic saints
Persecution of Christians
Red Terror (Spain)
Beatifications by Pope John Paul II