The Church in Spain celebrates this Friday, November 6, the memorial of Saint Pedro Poveda, Saint Inocencio de la Inmaculada and their companion martyrs, victims of the religious persecution of the 20th century. The commemoration recalls priests, religious and lay faithful who were murdered for being Catholic and whose death has been recognized by the Church as martyrdom out of hatred for the faith.
This year’s celebration takes on special relevance in light of the new beatifications scheduled for November. According to the data published by the Spanish Episcopal Conference on October 14, 2,404 martyrs are listed in the register of the beatified and another eleven have been proclaimed saints. The figure includes those whose decrees of martyrdom have already been promulgated and whose beatification ceremonies are scheduled.
A persecution that especially targeted the clergy and religious life
The religious persecution suffered by Spain during the Second Republic and, especially, during the Civil War led to the murder of thousands of Catholics.
Bishops, priests, seminarians, religious and lay people were victims of a violence that aimed, among other things, to eliminate the public presence of the Church in numerous territories.
Alongside the murders, churches were burned, sacred images destroyed, profanations committed and attacks carried out against convents and religious communities.
Among the saints commemorated on November 6 is Pedro Poveda Castroverde, founder of the Teresian Institution, murdered in Madrid in July 1936. Also remembered is Inocencio de la Inmaculada, a Passionist religious martyred during the events of Turón, in Asturias, in October 1934.
Their stories form part of a common liturgical memory that brings together numerous witnesses of the faith from that era.
More than three thousand martyrs remain in the process of beatification
The update from the Office for the Causes of Saints of the Spanish Episcopal Conference indicates that another 3,040 martyrs are currently in the process of beatification.
The office recalls that the causes follow canonical procedures aimed at examining the identity of the victims, the circumstances of their death and the existence of hatred for the faith on the part of their persecutors.
Recognition of martyrdom requires proof that the person died out of fidelity to Jesus Christ and accepted death while remaining steadfast in their faith.
This process makes it possible to distinguish Christian martyrdom from other deaths that occurred in the context of political and military confrontations.
The forgiveness of the persecutors
One of the recurring elements in the testimonies of the Spanish martyrs is the forgiveness offered to those who led them to their death.
The Church preserves their stories as examples of fidelity to Christ to the very end, in accordance with the testimony of the first Christian martyrs.
This year’s November 6 memorial precedes the beatification of Francisco González de Córdova and 79 companion martyrs of the diocese of Santander, scheduled for Saturday, November 7.
The coincidence of both celebrations once again brings to the forefront one of the most painful chapters in Spanish religious history and the testimony of those who remained faithful to their faith amid persecution.