Real de Gandia and the village of Chopo de Alpuente, birthplaces of the Valencian martyrs Carmelo Bolta and Francisco Pinazowho will be proclaimed saints this Sunday, October 20 by Pope Francis, will be present in Rome at the canonization ceremony of Blessed Manuel Ruiz López and his seven companions, murdered in Damascus in 1860.
The pilgrimage will be led by the Archbishop of Valencia, Mgr Enrique Benavent, who will participate in the canonization mass this Sunday and the thanksgiving mass which will be celebrated the next day, October 21.
The Archbishop will be accompanied by Francisco Revert, Episcopal Vicar of Vicariate VIII; Fernando Ramón, Episcopal Vicar Vicariate V; Ramón Fita, diocesan delegate for the Causes of Saints; Father Gonzalo Carbó Bolta, of the “Cooperatores Veritatis” Institute; Rubén Cortell, parish priest of Real de Gandia; Renato Amorim, parish priest of Alpuente; Francisco Llopis, priest of the parish dedicated to Blessed Francisco Pinazo, in the city of Valencia, and priests Bernabé Pérez and Jesús Cervera.
132 pilgrims from the parish of Real de Gandiahometown of Blessed Carmelo Bolta Bañuls, will travel with the mayor and members of the city’s municipal corporation and the Brotherhood of Blessed Carmelo Bolta.
For their part, there will be 60 pilgrims belonging to the parishes of Alpuentemunicipality to which “Aldea del Chopo” belongs, where Blessed Francisco Pinazo Peñalver was born, and that of the town of Valencewho bears his name, those who travel to Rome.
In addition, the descendants of the future saint Carmelo Bolta will also be present at the canonization. Salomé Pradas Ten, Minister of Justice and Interior, will be present, representing the Generalitat Valencia.
Order for the month of May
On July 1, Pope Francis decreed, during the ordinary public Consistory, that Manuel Ruiz and seven companions, of Order of Friars Minormartyred in Damascus in 1860, among whom are the blessed Valencians Carmelo Bolta and Francisco Pinazo, were inscribed on the List of Saints this Sunday, October 20, 2024.
Thus, the date on which this group of blessed will be declared saints has been made public, after the Holy Father authorized the promulgation of the decrees relating to their canonization last May.
In the May decree of the Dicastery of the Causes of Saints of the Holy See, published on May 23, 2024, the canonization of 11 martyrs, 8 Franciscan religious and three lay people, was approved, who were solemnly beatified by Pope Pius XI. October 10, 1926.
The group of martyrs of Damascus is made up of religious: Manuel Ruiz López from Santander, Nicanor Ascanio Soria from Madrid, Nicolás María Alberca Torres from Córdoba, Pedro Nolasco Soler Méndez from Murcia, Juan Jacob Fernández from Orense and Engelbert Kolland from Austria. with Carmelo Bolta Bañuls (Real de Gandía, 1803) and Francisco Pinazo Peñalver (Alpuente, 1802).
Likewise, with the decree, are registered on the List of Saints who will be canonized on October 20 the three lay Moronite Christians, blood brothers, who are: Francisco Massabki, lay Maronite, silk merchant; Mooti Massabki, Maronite layman, professor at the Franciscan school; and Raphaël Massabki, Maronite layman, younger brother of Francisco and Mooti.
“This canonization, at the gates of the Jubilee of 2025is a reason for hope for our diocese: the Lord gives us a year of grace so that we can grow in holiness, strengthen our Christian life and make our existence a courageous testimony to what we have received from the Lord, who supports us . and this fills us with joy. I would like that by learning from these two Valencians who are added to the number of saints, we can take advantage of these last months to prepare ourselves to live the Holy Year with a good frame of mind”, declared the Archbishop of Valencia, Mgr Enrique Benavent.
