Florentino Asensio Barroso (16 October 1877 – 9 August 1936) was a Spanish Roman Catholic who served as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Barbastro. He served as a chaplain of both the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Servants of Jesus as a priest. He was elevated into the episcopate in 1935 and was killed in 1936 during the onslaught of the Spanish Civil War. His appointment as administrator was opposed and he was soon captured and tortured. It was in mid 1936 that he was shot to death. He was willing to sacrifice - in that moment - his own blood for the faith. He was beatified in 1997 after it was determined that he was indeed killed in hatred of the faith.

Life

Florentino Asensio Barroso was born on 16 October 1877 in Valladolid to poor parents. He made his

First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin Church tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communi ...

on 1 May 1887. He originally wanted to become a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, indeed he made his first vows in 1888 but he was discouraged to continue and so was directed instead to the diocesan seminary. He commenced his studies for the priesthood and received the minor orders in 1889. He was ordained to the sub-diaconate on 22 September 1900 and the diaconate on 22 December 1900, and was ordained as a priest on 1 June 1901 by the Auxiliary Bishop of Valladolid. He graduated with a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of Valladolid and then went on to teach there for a brief period of time. He served as a pastor in

Villaverde de Medina Villaverde de Medina is a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research ...

until 1902 when he was transferred to Valladolid. It was there that he became the personal assistant to Archbishop Macho - later cardinal. From 1902 until 1917 he served as the confessor to the seminary in Valladolid. He also served as the confessor to various congregations and monasteries from 1920 until 1935. In 1925 he was tasked teaching catechism to adults. He was well regarded for his pastoral zeal in dealing with the sick and the poor; in 1935 the

Apostolic Nuncio to Spain The Apostolic Nunciature to the Kingdom of Spain is an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church in Spain. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio with the rank of an ambassador. For much of ...

Federico Tedeschini Federico Tedeschini (12 October 1873 – 2 November 1959) was an Italian cardinal of the Holy Roman Church who served as papal datary in the Roman Curia from 1938 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1933 '' in pectore'' (p ...

informed

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

that Barroso would be a suitable choice to become a bishop and to act as the Apostolic Administrator of Barbastro. He received episcopal consecration in 1936 and took possession of the see by proxy on 8 March 1936. Barbastro Catedral 12 Capilla de San Carlos Borromeo

Barbastro Catedral 12 Capilla de San Carlos Borromeo

Barroso was arrested in the episcopal residence and was imprisoned on 22 July 1936 during the onslaught of the Spanish Civil War. On the night of 8 August he was taken to solitary confinement in Barbastro and was interrogated to the point of cutting off his genitals. On 9 August, he was shot to death three times in the temple. Along with other killed detainees, his body was taken to a cemetery in a truck and was thrown into a mass grave at around 2:00am. After the war concluded, his remains were easily identified based on the initials that marked his undergarments. He was given an

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

on 16 April 1993.

Beatification

The beatification process commenced under

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

in Barbastro on 20 May 1947, granting him the posthumous title

Servant of God "Servant of God" is a title used in the Catholic Church to indicate that an individual is on the first step toward possible canonization as a saint. Terminology The expression "servant of God" appears nine times in the Bible, the first five in th ...

. The local process saw the accumulation of witness testimonies in addition to all documents that supported the fact that he was killed in hatred of the faith. The process concluded on 30 April 1952, and was ratified on 4 October 1991 in order for the cause to proceed. The Positio was submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome in 1993 and his martyrdom was approved on 31 January 1997. This allowed for Pope John Paul II to celebrate his beatification on 4 May 1997.

References

External links

Hagiography CircleSaints SQPN
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barroso, Florentino Asensio 1877 births 1936 deaths 19th-century venerated Christians 20th-century venerated Christians Spanish beatified people Beatifications by Pope John Paul II People from Valladolid Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War Martyred Roman Catholic priests Assassinated religious leaders Deaths by firearm in Spain Martyred Roman Catholic bishops Violence against men in Europe