85 Martyrs of England and Wales

The action of these martyrs takes place within the dramatic context of the English Reformation and the anti-Catholic persecutions that followed Henry VIII's break with Rome in 1534. Under the reign of Elizabeth I, the English Parliament adopted a particularly severe law in 1584, the Jesuits, etc. Act 1584 (27 Elizabeth I, c. 2), which declared any Catholic priest ordained abroad who set foot on the kingdom's soil guilty of high treason. Despite the danger of imminent death, many priests trained in continental seminaries (notably in Douai, Reims, Rome, or Valladolid) returned clandestinely to England and Wales to administer the sacraments and celebrate Mass. At the same time, the laypeople of the group actively committed themselves alongside them. Under the same legislation, helping or harboring a Catholic priest was considered a felony punishable by the death penalty. These courageous laypeople opened their homes to celebrate Mass in secret, hid priests sought by the authorities, and materially supported the clandestine Catholic networks.

After their execution, the memory of these martyrs was piously preserved by the recusant Catholic community of England and Wales. However, due to penal laws and the absence of an official Catholic hierarchy in the country, the formal opening of beatification processes was delayed for centuries. It was only after the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England in 1850 that official steps were resumed. An in-depth diocesan investigation was conducted in Westminster starting in 1874. The dossier for this specific group of 85 martyrs was the subject of a rigorous historical study spanning twelve years, resulting in the compilation of seven volumes of documents (totaling 2,667 pages) submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The decree recognizing their martyrdom was promulgated by the Holy See, thereby exempting the cause from the requirement of presenting a miracle for beatification.

The 85 martyrs of England and Wales were beatified on November 22, 1987, by Pope John Paul II during a solemn celebration at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, coinciding with the Solemnity of Christ the King. This historic event brought together a large British delegation composed of 32 bishops, 300 priests, and numerous lay faithful, among whom were direct descendants of twelve of the beatified martyrs. Currently, they hold the canonical status of blessed. For their canonization to be pronounced by the Sovereign Pontiff, the official recognition of a miracle attributed to their joint or individual intercession is required by the canonical legislation of the Church.

The spirituality of these martyrs rests on an unwavering attachment to the Eucharist, to the celebration of the Holy Mass, and to the unity of the Church under the authority of the successor of Peter. Faced with death, they manifested heroic serenity and courage, often forgiving their executioners on the scaffold. The priests accepted the atrocious torture reserved for traitors (hanged, drawn, and quartered), while the laity accepted simple hanging for having remained faithful to their pastors. Their legacy remains alive in the United Kingdom. They are celebrated collectively on May 4 in England and Wales, the day on which the Church commemorates all the martyrs of the English Reformation. They recall the historical importance of the close collaboration between the clergy and the laity for the preservation and transmission of the Christian faith in times of persecution.