On May 23, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of a decree which approves the canonization of several blesseds, among them the “Martyrs of Damascus”, a group of Christians murdered out of hatred for the faith in Syria.
This group was the victim, between July 9 and 10, 1860, of a massacre perpetrated in the midst of tensions between the Druze and Christian communities in the region, which extended from Lebanon to Syria and caused thousands of victims.
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On July 9 of that year, a crowd attacked the Franciscan convent in the Bab-Touma (Saint Paul) neighborhood of Damascus, resulting in the death of eight minor friars and three lay people who were there.
The murdered religious were Manuel Ruiz, Carmelo Bolta, Nicanor Ascanio, Nicolás M. Alberca y Torres, Pedro Soler, Engelbert Kolland, Francisco Pinazo Peñalver, Juan S. Fernández; together with three laymen who were biological brothers: Francis, Abdel Mohti and Raphaël Massabki.
Refusing to abandon their faith and convert to Islam, the eleven were brutally murdered: some were beheaded with sabers and axes, while others were stabbed or beaten to death.
Father Firas Lufti, guardian of the Franciscan convent of Bab-Touma in Damascus, noted in a recent interview that with this “canonization the process begun more than 160 years ago with his martyrdom is completed, with his dedication to the service of God, the Church and his suffering brothers.”
“This news comes at a time when the entire Middle East, including Syria, is experiencing moments of drama and conflict. Holiness is the hope of a new world. Despite the horrors of sin that humanity is capable of writing, history is written by God, who is Lord of history, along with his saints,” he added.
These 11 martyrs were beatified by Pope Pius XI on October 10, 1926 and their memory is celebrated every July 10 by the Latin and Maronite communities.
“The canonization of the martyrs of Damascus will give new impetus to the life of the Christian community, which was waiting with great expectation for this announcement,” said Father Lufti.
Although there is still no defined date for the canonization, the Church in Syria hopes that it can take place during the next Jubilee Year, recently announced by Pope Francis.
The Damascus massacre is part of a broader context of interreligious conflicts and political tensions in the Ottoman Empire during the 19th century.
Diego López Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I have worked as a digital journalist. I started my career at the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio. In 2016, I started as an editor at ACI Prensa and I have worked as a web editor since 2018. Starting in 2024, I write the newsletter for social media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.