Joy in Syria: Pope Francis gives ‘green light’ for canonization of ‘Martyrs of Damascus’ 

Marinella Bandini   By Marinella Bandini for CNA

May 23, 2024 Catholic News Agency News Briefs 0 Print

 

A moment of prayer during the procession through the narrow streets of the Christian quarter of Bab-Touma (St. Paul) in the Old City of Damascus on July 9, 2023, in celebration of the liturgical feast of the Martyrs of Damascus. / Credit: Courtesy of HS/Custody of the Holy Land

Jerusalem, May 23, 2024 / 17:11 pm (CNA).

In Damascus, Syria, today, news that the 11 “Martyrs of Damascus” will be canonized was received with “emotion and hope,” according to Father Firas Lufti, guardian of the Franciscan convent of Bab-Touma in Damascus where the martyrdom occurred and where many relics of the martyrs are preserved.

During an audience with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, “the Supreme Pontiff approved the votes in favor cast during the ordinary session of the cardinal and bishop fathers for the canonization” of the martyrs, said the bulletin released by the Holy See Press Office on May 23.

The “Martyrs of Damascus” were murdered “out of hatred for the faith” in Damascus, Syria, some time during the night of July 9-10, 1860. The event took place during the persecution of Christians by Shia Druze, which spread from Lebanon to Syria and resulted in thousands of victims.

A Druze commando entered the Franciscan convent, located in the Christian quarter of Bab-Touma (St. Paul) in the Old City of Damascus, and massacred the friars: Manuel Ruiz, Carmelo Bolta, Nicanor Ascanio, Nicolás M. Alberca y Torres, Pedro Soler, Engelbert Kolland, Francisco Pinazo Peñalver, Juan S. Fernández, along with three laymen who were biological brothers — Francis, Abdel Mohti, and Raphaël Massabki.

Upon refusing to renounce their Christian faith and convert to Islam, the 11 were brutally killed, some beheaded with sabers and axes, others stabbed or clubbed to death.

The altar dedicated to the eight Franciscan friars martyred in Damascus in 1860 is located inside the Catholic church in the Christian quarter of Bab-Touma (St. Paul) in the Old City of Damascus. The church is adjacent to the Franciscan convent where the martyrdom of the friars and three Maronite laypeople, the Massabki brothers, took place. Beneath the altar is the urn containing the bones of the martyrs. Credit: Courtesy of HS/Custody of the Holy Land
The altar dedicated to the eight Franciscan friars martyred in Damascus in 1860 is located inside the Catholic church in the Christian quarter of Bab-Touma (St. Paul) in the Old City of Damascus. The church is adjacent to the Franciscan convent where the martyrdom of the friars and three Maronite laypeople, the Massabki brothers, took place. Beneath the altar is the urn containing the bones of the martyrs. Credit: Courtesy of HS/Custody of the Holy Land

The news of the impending canonizations comes almost 100 years after the beatification of the 11 martyrs, which took place in 1926.

“All of us have longed to hear this news,” said Lufti, who is also a friar of the Custody of the Holy Land. “With the canonization, the process initiated over 160 years ago with their martyrdom, with the self-giving in service to God, the Church, and suffering brothers, is completed. Holiness is the life project of every baptized person and the culmination of a life spent for others.”

“This news,” Lufti added, “comes at a time when the entire Middle East, including Syria, is experiencing moments of drama and conflict. Holiness is the hope for a new world. Despite the horrors of sin that mankind is capable of writing, history is written by God, who is the Lord of history, alongside his saints.”

The hope is that the canonization of the Martyrs of Damascus is also “a message of dialogue, peace, and unity” in the Middle Eastern context, the friar said.

The chapel dedicated to the three Maronite laymen, brothers Francis, Abdel Mohti, and Raphaël Massabki, inside the Maronite church in the Old City of Damascus. The three are part of the group of 11 Martyrs of Damascus, whose canonization was approved by Pope Francis on May 23, 2024. Credit: Courtesy of HS/Custody of the Holy Land
The chapel dedicated to the three Maronite laymen, brothers Francis, Abdel Mohti, and Raphaël Massabki, inside the Maronite church in the Old City of Damascus. The three are part of the group of 11 Martyrs of Damascus, whose canonization was approved by Pope Francis on May 23, 2024. Credit: Courtesy of HS/Custody of the Holy Land

Every year on July 10, the liturgical calendar of the Custody of the Holy Land commemorates these martyrs. In the Syrian capital, the Latin and Maronite communities often celebrate this day together.

“This year’s celebration will have a very special flavor because it will be a taste of holiness,” Lufti explained. “The canonization of the Martyrs of Damascus will give a new impetus to the life of the Christian community, which awaited this announcement with great anticipation.”

Lufti referred to the Damascus martyrs as “witnesses, models, and examples” to follow “in order to persevere in the faith.” The canonization of these men who “put into practice the golden rule of Christian life: to love God and neighbor to the point of giving their lives … gives us hope [and] shows us where to set our feet on the path toward holiness, which is the goal of every Christian.”

The cause for canonization of the martyrs has been revived in recent years due to their growing reputation for holiness and the number of miracles attributed to their intercession.

The chapel dedicated to the three Maronite laymen, brothers Francis, Abdel Mohti, and Raphaël Massabki, inside the Maronite church in the Old City of Damascus. The three are part of the group of 11 Martyrs of Damascus, whose canonization was approved by Pope Francis on May 23, 2024. Credit: Courtesy of HS/Custody of the Holy Land
The chapel dedicated to the three Maronite laymen, brothers Francis, Abdel Mohti, and Raphaël Massabki, inside the Maronite church in the Old City of Damascus. The three are part of the group of 11 Martyrs of Damascus, whose canonization was approved by Pope Francis on May 23, 2024. Credit: Courtesy of HS/Custody of the Holy Land

In 2022, the Holy Synod of Maronite Bishops presented a petition to Pope Francis for the canonization of the Blessed Massabki Martyrs — the three brothers from the same family who were killed along with the friars the same night in Damascus. This request was joined by the Order of Friars Minor, who sought the canonization of the entire group of martyrs.

On March 23, 2023, the pope authorized a special procedure for the drafting and study of the “Positio super Canonizatione,” a set of documents used in the process by which a person is declared a saint, often simply referred to as the “Positio.” On May 23, the pontiff approved the favorable votes of the ordinary session of cardinals and bishops for the martyrs’ canonization.

Although there is no date scheduled yet for the canonization, Lufti said the Church in Syria hopes it can be celebrated during the upcoming Jubilee Year recently announced by Pope Francis.

If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

About Catholic News Agency 12603 Articles
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

Related Articles

No Picture
News Briefs

Catholic Charities to open ‘Compassion Corner’ to serve homeless, poor in Pittsburgh

May 6, 2024 Catholic News Agency 1
The Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Gismondi Job Training Program helps those in need. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 6, 2024 / 17:40 pm (CNA).

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh is expanding its social services offered to people who are homeless and those in poverty with a newly created “Compassion Corner” opening in August. 

The nonprofit charity group is renovating a former office building located in downtown Pittsburgh to provide health care services, mental health services, job training programs, a place for the homeless population to eat, and a variety of other resources. The nearly 45,000-square-foot building is located at 111 Boulevard of the Allies, next to The Red Door (run by the Catholic Divine Mercy Parish), which provides services such as food for people who are homeless.

“I believe this is all divinely led,” Christopher Scoletti, a board member of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and previous president of the board, said during an official launch last week. 

“I believe God is working and channeling the love that we all have for our communities, for our neighbors, for one another,” Scoletti added. “I believe God is channeling the pride that we have for the City of Pittsburgh to enforce a powerful change for a better future.”

Susan Rauscher, who serves as the charity’s executive director, told CNA that the new building will allow Catholic Charities to provide more medical and dental care, which it offers to those in poverty for free. She said this expansion will allow for more dental chairs and more medical services, among other things. 

“[We’re] really excited about the increase in the number of people who can get health care services,” Rauscher said. 

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh provides eye exams to its clients. Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh provides eye exams to its clients. Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh

According to Rauscher, the added space will allow the nonprofit to provide mental wellness services, which will include anger management and therapy. The group will also provide job training services, which will include a free 12-week telecommunications course, and connect them with employers with whom the charity has existing relationships. The job programs will include training for five certifications. 

“Moving into the new building gives us some additional space to move into new areas that help us bring holistic solutions to our clients,” Rauscher added.

Because of the Compassion Corner’s proximity to The Red Door, Catholic Charities will create a spot for people who are homeless to eat inside. Rauscher noted that those people will also receive access to these services. 

“[Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh is] pushing toward not only providing that emergency assistance and those basic needs but also incorporating case management and that long-term stability,” Rauscher said.

More than 100 elected officials, community leaders, and business leaders attended the official launch of the Compassion Corner, according to the diocesan Catholic Charities. This included Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, who praised the work of the nonprofit and said Christians “can’t just read the Bible and teach the Bible” but need to show their faith in Christ through the “works and deeds that we do.”

“That falls on all of us to do,” Gainey said during a speech at the launch. “It doesn’t just fall on government [and] nonprofit [organizations]. It falls on us.”

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh has raised about $12 million in donations for its Campaign for Compassion Corner to provide these services, which is more than 70% of its goal of $17 million. The group is trying to raise $13 million for Catholic Charities and $4 million for its partner, Gift of Mary, an emergency women’s shelter. 

Rauscher told CNA that 100% of the staff at the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh has personally contributed to the fundraising effort. She praised the work of the staff, saying: “They can squeeze every penny out of every dollar that’s entrusted to us and turn it into solutions for the people they serve.”

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh serves about 20,000 people annually, according to Rauscher. She said the nonprofit served about 23,000 people last year.

[…]

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*