Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of canonisation for the Martyrs of Damascus on Sunday 20 October this year. Their martyrdom was part of the persecution against the Christians by Shiite Druze that had spread from Lebanon into Syria and caused thousands of victims.
On the night of 9 July 1860, a Druze-led mob entered the Franciscan friary, located in the Christian quarter of Bab-Touma (St Paul) in the Old City of Damascus, and murdered eight friars: Manuel Ruiz, Carmelo Bolta, Nicanor Ascanio, Nicolás Alberca y Torres, Peter Soler, Engelbert Kolland, Francisco Pinazo Peñalver, and Juan Fernández. All the friars were from Spain except Peter Soler who was from Austria, and at 33 the youngest of the martyrs.
Also killed for Christ that night in the friary were three Christians of the Maronite rite, laymen who were biological brothers – Francis, Abdel Mohti, and Raphaël Massabki. The first two were fathers of large families; the last was unmarried. The three brothers were also Franciscan tertiaries. The chapel dedicated to these three martyrs is in the Maronite church in the old city of Damascus.
There is no doubt that this was martyrdom for, before killing them, the assailants asked them to renounce their Christian faith and embrace Islam. Upon refusing to renounce their faith in Christ and convert to Islam, the eleven men were brutally killed, some beheaded with sabres and axes, others stabbed or clubbed to death.
The announcement of the canonisation of the martyrs was made by the Vatican on 23 May. It comes almost one hundred years after their beatification proclaimed by Pius XI in 1926. The cause for their canonisation has been revived in recent years due to their growing reputation for holiness and the number of miracles attributed to their intercession.
Longed for News
The news of the canonisation was anxiously awaited in Damascus, and when announced in May this year, it was welcomed with ‘emotion and hope for all of us who have longed to hear this news’, says Firas Lufti OFM, Guardian of the Franciscan friary of Bab-Touma. This is the actual place where the martyrdom took place and where the relics of the Franciscan Blessed are kept.
He said, ‘This news comes at a time when the whole of the Middle East, including Syria, is living through moments of drama and conflict, war and crisis.’ The friar hopes that ‘the canonisation of the Martyrs of Damascus is also a message of dialogue, peace, and unity in the Middle Eastern context.’
He believes that ‘the canonisation of the martyrs of Damascus will give a new boost to the life of the small Christian community that has suffered so much from years of civil war in Syria. It gives us hope, it shows us where to put our feet on the path towards saintliness, which is the destination of every person who devotes their life to loving God and their neighbour.’
He continues, ‘The heroic life of these martyrs, the gift of the self for others, are a reminder of perseverance in faith until the end. The blood of the martyrs gives us courage, it gives us the strength to remain. I believe that our Franciscan presence here today is a prolongation of what our martyrs did: welcome and dialogue with everyone.’
‘Father Patience’
One of the friars killed was Manuel Ruiz López (56), Guardian of the friary. He had set sail with his Franciscan companions for the Holy Land in 1831 and had been assigned to the city of Damascus.
He had a particular desire and ability for learning oriental languages and so had no difficulties in carrying out a zealous apostolate, distinguishing himself by his charity and prudence. We know that the Arabs called him familiarly ‘Father Patience’ and this reflects how he was able to be very close to the people. He gave himself every day and entirely to the mission that had been assigned to him.
As hatred for Christians began to increase, Fr Manuel, in a letter written on 2 July 1860, said, ‘Our faith is threatened by the Druze and by the Pasha of Damascus, who gives them the means to take the lives of all Christians, without any distinction, whether they are European or Oriental. May the Lord’s will be done.’ This sentence summarises his acceptance of his possible martyrdom. It makes clear that he fully understood the danger, together with his readiness to give his life for Christ.
Killed at the Altar
A few days later, on 9 July, the anti-Christian horde invaded the densely populated Christian quarter of Damascus and started to pillage and kill. Over 4,000 Christians were killed before the violence was brought to an end.
Sources tell us that when the mob was about to enter the friary, Fr Manuel gathered together the friars, the children of the Franciscan school and some laypeople in the church, including the three Maronite brothers, the Massabkis. He exhorted them all to persevere to the end and invited them to receive the Body of Christ.
At the time of the break-in, Fr Manuel immediately ran to the tabernacle to remove the Eucharist and consume it, so as not to expose it to sacrilege. So he was killed at the foot of the altar. There is a very significant bond between the Lord of the Eucharist giving himself and Fr Manuel giving himself at the altar: just as Christ gives himself to us in Bread of Life, so the martyr gives his life in the name of Christ.