Pope approves canonization of 20 priests killed by Communists in Spain

Pope Leo XIV. Photo: Getty Images

Pope Leo XIV authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to issue decrees recognizing the martyrdom of Juan Torres Torres and 19 companions. All of them served as priests in the Diocese of Ibiza and fell victim to persecution by Communist forces in 1936, LifeSiteNews reports.

The investigation established that the killings were carried out out of pure “hatred for the faith” (in odium fidei). The youngest of the martyrs was Juan Torres Torres himself – he was executed at the age of 25, just a few months after his ordination. At that time, communist authorities in Spain launched large-scale persecution of Christians: radicals desecrated churches, committed acts of violence against believers and forcibly banned religious processions.

The Diocese of Ibiza said that the Church recognizes the witness of those who gave their lives for Christ amid violence, calling the slain priests “a living memorial of faith, hope, and reconciliation.” The process of recognizing the clerics’ feat began in 2008 and was completed after years of study of the documents by historical consultants and cardinals. The solemn rite of beatification of the new martyrs will take place this autumn.

As the UOJ reported, the Roman Catholic Church is to canonize a 28-year-old woman who refused three abortions.

Read also