Author Topic: Declaration of Martyrdom (Read 1791 times)

poche · « **on:** August 11, 2015, 11:05:04 PM »

Pope Francis has approved a decree on the martyrdom of Bishop Flavianus Michael Malke (1858-1915), thus paving the way for his beatification.

Bishop Malke, the Syriac Catholic bishop of Gazireh (now Cizre, Turkey), was slain during the Assyrian genocide after he refused to convert to Islam. He will be beatified in Lebanon on August 29, the 100th anniversary of his martyrdom.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=25787

poche · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2015, 12:40:17 AM »

A new website has been launched ahead of the beatification of South Africa's first martyr recognized by the Catholic Church.

Benedict Samuel Tshimangadzo Daswa, who was martyred on February 2nd, 1990, will be beatified on September 13th.

According to Fides, the new website (www.daswabeatification.org.za) presents the life of the soon-to-be Blessed.

Following a series of strong storms that raged in the area of his native village in February 1990, the local people thought that these phenomena were due to acts of witchcraft. The council of elders therefore decided to consult a "healer" and the villagers were asked an individual contribution of 5 Rand to pay for his advice. Benedict said that thunderstorms are natural phenomena and refused to give his contribution to pay a sorcerer, thus arousing the anger of many residents.

On February 2nd, 1990, the car Benedict was traveling in was blocked with a road ambush by some individuals. He managed to escape on foot, and hid in a house. But faced with the threat to kill the woman who hid him, Benedict gave himself to his captors, entrusting his soul to the Lord. He was stabbed to death and his body covered with boiling water.

In January of this year, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree which recognizes the "martyrdom of Tshimangadzo Samuele Benedetto Daswa (Bakali), lay, killed in hatred of the Faith, on February 2, 1990, in Mbahe (South Africa)".

Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, will preside over the beatification ceremony which will be held on September 13th at the Benedict Daswa Shrine, in Tshitanini in Limpopo Province.

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/new-website-launched-ahead-of-beatification-of-south-africa-s-first-martyr

poche · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2015, 12:59:14 AM »

Here are more details on the martyrdom of bishop Melki;

On Saturday, Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of the Servant of God Bishop Flavien Michael Melki, a Turkish Eastern Catholic priest of the Brothers of Saint Ephrem.

The Holy Father authorized the Congregation of the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree regarding the martyrdom following a meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the dicastery.

Born in present-day Turkey, Bishop Melki lived during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. As a priest, and later as Bishop, he witnessed countless persecutions against Christians. Upon hearing news of massive persecutions against minorities, in what in now referred to as the Armenian Genocide, he returned to his diocese. Despite pleas from both Christian and Muslim friends, he refused to leave.

Shortly after, along with four priests, Bishop Melki was arrested and held captive. Following his refusal to convert to Islam, the Turkish prelate was beaten and then beheaded on August 29th, 1915.

The Pope recognized Bishop Melki's martyrdom In odium fidei (In hatred of the faith). The Partriarchate of Antioch of the Syrian Catholic Church announced that the Beatification Mass will take place on August 29th, the 100th anniversary of his death in Harissa (Lebanon). The Mass will be presided by Mar Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East of the Syrians. Cardinal Amato will also concelebrate the beatification.

The announcement of the recognition of Bishop Melki's persecution was applauded by the Patriarchate of Antioch for the Syriac Catholic Church, which released a statement on Sunday.

"In these painful times experienced by Christians, especially the Syriac communities in Iraq and Syria, the news of the beatification of one of their martyrs, will surely bring encouragement and consolation to face today’s trials of appalling dimension," the statement read.

The patriarchate also announced that thousands of Iraqis and Syrians displaced by the war in their countries will be present at the beatification. The statement concluded with a prayer, asking for Bishop Melki's intercession in helping those suffering from persecution, especially in the Middle East.

"To the supplications addressed by friends and acquaintances during the 1915 genocide, urging him to go out to a safe place, the new Blessed repeated: 'No way! Even my blood I will shed for my sheep!'", the statement read.

"Blessed Martyr Michael, intercede for us, and protect especially the Christians in the Orient and all the world in these hard and painful days. Amen."

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/vatican-pope-recognizes-martyrdom-of-turkish-bishop

poche · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2015, 12:33:59 AM »

A century to the day after he was beaten and beheaded after refusing to convert to Islam, Bishop Flavianus Michael Malke (Melki) was beatified as a martyr on August 29 at the Patriarchal Convent of Our Lady of Deliverance in Harissa, Lebanon.

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Yonan presided at the liturgy.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, told Vatican Radio that “today, as it was 100 years ago, darkness has fallen in many countries of ancient Christian civilization: the faithful are discriminated against, persecuted, expelled, killed; their houses are not marked with the blood of the Passover lamb to be saved, but with the red ‘Nu,’ for Nasrani or ‘one belonging to the Nazarene,’ meaning Christians, as the mark of their sentence.”

“As it was one hundred years ago, at the time of the martyrdom of Bishop Melki, Christians are denied every liberty, they are forced to leave their homeland, or to convert or die,” he added. “In fact, death reigns supreme in the persecutors’ minds and hearts of stone, who cannot stand the Christian civilization of liberty, respect for others, fraternity, justice, charity.”

Born in 1858, Blessed Malke was ordained to the priesthood in 1883 and was ordained the Syriac Catholic bishop of Gazireh (now Cizre, Turkey) in 1913. He perished two years later in the Assyrian genocide.

Following his August 30 Angelus address, Pope Francis paid tribute to Blessed Malke.

“In the context of a terrible persecution of Christians, he was a tireless defender of the rights of his people, urging all to remain firm in the faith,” the Pope told the crowds that had gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “Even today, dear brothers and sisters, in the Middle East and other parts of the world, Christians are persecuted. There are more martyrs than there were in the first centuries.”

“May the beatification of this bishop-martyr instill in them consolation, courage, and hope,” he added. “Let it also be a stimulus to legislators and government leaders to insure religious freedom everywhere, and to the international community to put an end to violence and oppression.”

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=25970

poche · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2015, 12:17:27 AM »

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace III Younans plans to open a cause for the beatification of 48 people killed in a 2010 attack on a cathedral in Baghdad.

Our Lady of Salvation cathedral was bombed during a Sunday Mass on October 31, 2010. Two priests who were concelebrating the liturgy were killed, along with 46 others.

The Syriac Patriarch said that he plans to open a formal cause for the beatification of the victims next year. He made this announcement during the August 29 ceremony in which he presided at the beatification of Bishop Flavianus Michael Malke, who died as a martyr in 1915.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=26009

poche · « **Reply #5 on:** September 16, 2015, 12:18:53 AM »

Samuel Benedict Daswa (1946-90), a school teacher who was brutally murdered after he denounced witchcraft, was beatified as a martyr near Thohoyandou, South Africa, on September 13.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the Mass of beatification. Agence France-Presse reported that 30,000 people, including Daswa’s 91-year-old mother and his eight children, were in attendance. (Daswa’s wife died in 2008.)

A convert who was baptized at the age of 16, Blessed Daswa was “a man of incredible generosity,” said Father John Finn, the priest who buried him. “He was always bringing people to hospitals, taking care of children and elders.”

Following his September 13 Angelus address, Pope Francis said that Blessed Daswa

was killed for his fidelity to the Gospel. In his life, he always showed consistency, courageously taking on Christian attitudes and refusing worldly and pagan customs. May his witness especially help families to spread the truth and charity of Christ, and may his witness, united with the witness of so many of our brothers and sisters-- youth, elderly, boys and girls, children-- all persecuted, driven out, and killed for announcing Jesus Christ. To all these martyrs, to Samuel Benedict Daswa and to all of them, let us thank them for their witness, and we ask that they intercede for us.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=26106

poche · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2015, 12:37:29 AM »

Eighteen Trappist monks who were murdered out of hatred for the faith in 1936 were beatified as martyrs in Santander, Spain, on October 3.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the Mass of beatification.

“Pio Heredia and 17 comrades of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance and San Bernardo [were] killed for their faith during the Spanish cινιℓ ωαr and religious persecutions of the 1930s,” Pope Francis said following his October 4 Angelus address. “We praise the Lord for their brave witness and their intercession, and we call on Him to free the world from the scourge of war.”

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=26324

You realize that this would not be if the Pope were a true marxist.