Tarragona, cradle of the Spanish martyrs
The Plenary Assembly of the Spanish Episcopate has decided that the ceremony of beatification of a good number of martyrs of the 20th century, planned for 13 October 2013, will be celebrated in Tarragona, Catalonia, in the north-east of Spain.
The chosen diocese is rich with a great history of Christian faith and martyrdom, for the first witnesses of the faith to shed their blod for Christ were the bishop of Tarragona, Fructueux, and his two deacons, Augure and Euloge. Moreover, among the martyrs who will be beatified on this occasion, 147 are from Tarragona, including the auxiliary bishop of the diocese, Manuel Borràs, and 66 diocesan priests.
We will soon have more details of the ceremony, the organization of which falls to the Office for the Causes of Saints of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, with the help of the diocese where the event will be held.
The Pastoral Plan of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) envisages as one of the main activities planned for the Year of Faith, the beatification of 20th century martyrs in Spain. The Plan makes mention of the words of Pope Benedict XVI when, instituting the Year of Faith, he indicated precisely that « through the faith, martyrs will give their lives, to witness to the truth of the Gospel which has transformed them and made them capable of achieving the greatest gift of love with the pardon of their persecutors. »
The cause of Br Cristanto, which brings together three of our causes, concerns 66 Brothers and two lay Marists martyred.
The causes introduced in Spain number 33, and the number of persons to be beatified is estimated to be more than 500.