522 Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War

This exceptional group of 522 blessed individuals testifies to the diversity and vitality of the Church in Spain at that time. It consists of: * 3 bishops: Mgr Salvio Huix Miralpeix (Bishop of Lérida), Mgr Manuel Basulto y Jiménez (Bishop of Jaén), and Mgr Manuel Borrás Ferré (Auxiliary Bishop of Tarragona). * 82 diocesan priests. * 3 seminarians. * 15 priests of the Brotherhood of Diocesan Worker Priests. * 412 religious men and women belonging to numerous congregations (Brothers of the Christian Schools, Marist Brothers, Lazarists, Daughters of Charity, Claretians, Redemptorists, Carmelites, etc.). * 7 laypeople. Geographically, 515 of them were of Spanish nationality, while 7 were foreigners (three French, one Cuban, one Colombian, one Filipino, and one Portuguese). Among the three Frenchmen, all members of the Marist Brothers of the Schools, are heroic examples of fraternal solidarity: * Brother Louis-Damien (Joseph Sobraqués Glory): Born in Bouleternère (Pyrénées-Orientales) on March 28, 1891, he was the director of the college in Valencia. Arrested and martyred on August 4, 1936, he declared in prison after confessing: "I am going happily and satisfied toward martyrdom; I know that tonight, they are going to kill us," begging the priest to proclaim the reign of Christ "so that our blood is not shed in vain." * Brother Jean-Marie (Félix-Célestin Gombert Olympe): Born in Trets (Bouches-du-Rhône) on April 5, 1873, he had been teaching in Spain for 44 years. Arrested in Toledo and martyred on August 23, 1936, he refused to use his French nationality to be released, stating: "In no way, I have always lived with my brothers and with them I want to die." * Brother Colombanus-Paul (Henri Oza Motinot): Born in Lyon on August 1, 1877, he taught in Carrejo. Arrested on December 30, 1936, and imprisoned in Santander, he also refused to take refuge in France via the consulate. He was martyred on January 1 or 2, 1937, likely thrown into the sea from the Cape Mayor lighthouse.

The recognition of the martyrdom of these 522 servants of God required a colossal effort on the part of the Spanish dioceses and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Their files were divided into 33 distinct causes, rigorously investigated to prove that their death was a true martyrdom in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith). Historical and theological investigations demonstrated that none of them were involved in political or military combat, and that they all died while forgiving their executioners. On June 28, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decrees officially recognizing their martyrdom, thus paving the way for their collective beatification.

The beatification ceremony took place on October 13, 2013, in Tarragona, Catalonia (Spain). Presented as one of the largest beatifications in the history of the Church, it brought together between 20,000 and 25,000 faithful, as well as more than a hundred bishops and numerous cardinals. The liturgy was presided over, in the name of Pope Francis, by Cardinal Angelo Amato, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

On this occasion, Pope Francis addressed a video message in which he paid tribute to their absolute fidelity: "A martyr is a Christian conquered by Christ, a disciple who has understood the total love that led Jesus to the cross. [...] Let us ask for the intercession of the martyrs to be true Christians, not only in words. In order not to be mediocre Christians, of appearance and without substance, we must go all the way."

The liturgical memorial of these blessed is set collectively on November 6, the day on which the Church celebrates all the martyrs of the religious persecution of the 20th century in Spain.

The spirituality of these 522 martyrs is based on the total offering of self and the imitation of the suffering Christ. Faced with hatred and blind violence, they opposed the weapons of charity, prayer, and forgiveness. Their death was not an act of political confrontation, but a disarmed testimony of faith.

Their legacy is today a powerful call to reconciliation and peace. As Cardinal Angelo Amato emphasized during his homily in Tarragona, these beatifications remind us that Christianity proposes "a culture of peace and fraternity, not of war." They remain models of courage for contemporary Christians, inviting everyone to live their faith with authenticity, without lukewarmness or compromise.