AMERICA/GUATEMALA – Beatification of the Martyrs of Quichè: “Inspired by faith in Christ, heroic witnesses of justice and peace”
Santa Cruz (Agenzia Fides) – “This past Friday, in Santa Cruz de Quiché in Guatemala, José Maria Gran Cirera and nine martyr companions were beatified: three priests and seven lay people belonging to the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, committed to defending the poor, who were killed between 1980 and 1991, the time during which the Catholic Church was being persecuted. With lively faith in Christ, they were heroic witnesses of justice and love. May their example make us more generous and courageous in living the Gospel. Let’s give a round of applause for the new Blesseds”. With these words after yesterday’s Regina Caeli, Sunday April, 25, the Holy Father Francis recalled the beatification of a group of martyrs from Quiché, Guatemala (see Fides, 24/3/2021). The three priests were Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, all born in Spain: Father José María Gran Cirera, Father Faustino Villanueva Villanueva and Father Juan Alonso Fernández. The 7 lay people are Domingo del Barrio Batz, Juan Barrera Méndez (12 years old), Tomás Ramírez Caba, Nicolás Castro, Reyes Us Hernández, Rosalío Benito, Miguel Tiu Imul. The celebration of the Beatification took place on Friday April 23, on the premises of the Colegio el Rosario, in the presence of representatives from all the parishes and parishes of the Quichè department and other parts of the country. It was presided over by Monsignor Rosolino Bianchetti Boffelli, Bishop of the diocese of Quiché, who replaced Cardinal Alvaro Ramazzini, Pontifical Delegate, who was unable to be present for health reasons. The Apostolic Nuncio in Guatemala, Archbishop Montecillo Padilla, read the letter in which Pope Francis affirmed that the three priests and the seven lay people “who, deeply believed in Christ, the only Savior, are heroic witnesses of his kingdom of justice, love and forgiveness until the bloodshed, were to be called from now on Blessed”.
Several bishops from all over Guatemala and other countries as well as numerous priests concelebrated at the service. The celebration was broadcast by various media throughout Central America, the United States and also in Spain, the country of origin of the three missionary priests of the Sacred Heart.
In an interview with Vatican News, Bishop Rosolino Bianchetti Boffelli of Quiché, a Fidei Donum missionary of Italian origin whose diocese is in the Guatemalan highlands on the border with Mexico, emphasized in an interview with Vatican News: “Our martyrs were truly missionaries on the move. They went from house to house, keeping the faith alive, praying with their brothers, evangelizing, imploring the God of life. They were men of great faith, of great trust in God, but at the same time of great dedication to bring about a change, a different Guatemala”. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 26/4/2021)
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Publish date : 2021-04-26 03:00:00
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