Pope Francis canonized the Spaniard Manuel Ruiz López and seven Franciscan friars, six of whom were Spanish, who were murdered in Syria in 1860 during a time of persecution and massacres against Christians. During the canonization ceremony in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, the pope recalled the fidelity and sacrifice of these men and women who served with joy and martyrdom.
Manuel Ruiz, born in Burgos in 1804, was murdered in Damascus in 1860 while serving as the superior of the convent of San Pablo. During that time, Christians in Syria and Lebanon suffered massacres at the hands of the Druze community. Ruiz and seven other Franciscans, including other Spaniards and an Austrian, were beheaded by a mob of Druze in Damascus. Despite the offer of refuge from the Ottoman governor, the clergy rejected the protection to stay with the people seeking shelter in the convent.
Also canonized in the same ceremony were three Maronite laypeople from Damascus: Francesco Massabki, Mooti Massabki, and Raffaele Massabki, who were closely linked to the Franciscan community at San Pablo. Additionally, Italian priest Giuseppe Allamano, Italian Elena Guerra, and Canadian Marie-Léonie Paradis, founders of various religious congregations, were declared saints.
Authorities present at the ceremony included Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Cortes of the Spanish Government. Francis used the Latin formula to declare the sainthood of the new saints and requested that they be inscribed in the Church's books. The pope emphasized that following the work of Jesus in the world is the legacy that these saints leave us.
