Pope Leo XIV has authorized the beatification of 20 Spanish diocesan priests who were killed during the anti-Catholic persecution of the Spanish Civil War, recognizing them as martyrs who died in hatred of the faith.
According to Vatican News, the Holy Father approved the decree during an audience on June 18 with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The decision officially clears the way for the beatification of the priests from the islands of Ibiza and Formentera.
The martyrs, led by Father Juan Torres Torres, were killed between August and September 1936 during a period of intense religious persecution in Spain. According to Vatican News, the priests represented nearly half of the local clergy on Ibiza at the time. Growing hostility toward the Church had already led diocesan authorities to suspend public religious processions due to security concerns.
The persecution escalated into violence and acts of desecration aimed at eliminating the Catholic presence on the islands. According to Vatican News, Father Juan Torres Torres, the youngest among the group, was remembered for his humility and generosity. The witness of the martyrs has remained deeply rooted in the memory of the local Church for decades.
In the same audience, Pope Leo XIV also recognized the heroic virtues of five Servants of God, granting them the title of Venerable.
Among them is Mother Maria Teresa Tallon, an American religious sister born in New York in 1867 to Irish immigrant parents. According to Vatican News, she devoted herself to teaching and caring for the sick, even contracting diphtheria while assisting patients during an epidemic in San Francisco.
Later, while serving in Manhattan, Mother Tallon founded the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate in 1908. According to Vatican News, she envisioned a community dedicated to bringing Christ into homes and neighborhoods while serving those most in need.
The Pope also recognized the heroic virtues of Mother Clara Andreu y Malferit, a 17th-century religious from Mallorca known for a life of prayer, humility, and mystical experiences. According to Vatican News, her reputation for holiness continues to draw pilgrims to the Monastery of Saint Bartholomew in Inca.
Also declared Venerable was Sister Maria Petra Giordano, an Italian Dominican nun who dedicated her life to religious formation and Gospel living. Vatican News reported that numerous eyewitness testimonies support her cause for sainthood.
Another decree recognized the heroic virtues of Father Júlio Emílio Alberto De Lombaerde, a Belgian-born missionary priest who spent much of his life serving in Brazil. According to Vatican News, he founded three religious congregations and devoted himself to pastoral ministry, education, and catechesis, especially in remote areas of the Amazon. His life was marked by “apostolic zeal, perseverance in prayer, and unwavering trust in God,” according to the Vatican News report.
The fifth new Venerable is Mother Maria Agnese Tribbioli, founder of the Congregation of the Pious Workers of Saint Joseph. During World War II, she helped shelter Jewish people despite the dangers involved. According to Vatican News, she was later recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for her courageous actions.
The decrees highlight the Church’s continued recognition of those who gave heroic witness to Christ through martyrdom, missionary service, charity, prayer, and fidelity to the Gospel. With the approval of Pope Leo XIV, the 20 Spanish martyrs now move one step closer to being formally honored among the Blessed of the Church.
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