On 27 October, the Custody of the Holy Land held a Thanksgiving Mass in Jerusalem for the canonization of the Martyrs of Damascus, which took place on 20 October in Rome. The celebration was held in the Franciscan church of St Saviour and was presided over by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Francesco Patton. The concelebrants included Monsignor Adolfo Tito Yllana, apostolic delegate in Jerusalem and in Palestine, and the Maronite Archbishop Moussa Hage, who had presided over the prayer of Vespers the previous evening. There were many faithful present, both of the Latin rite and of the Maronite rite, a sign that they both belong to the Church, although in the diversity of traditions.
The 11 martyrs canonized by Pope Francis - eight Friars Minor and three Maronite laymen – suffered martyrdom in Damascus, between 9 and 10 July 1860. “They are actually the representatives of tens of thousands of Christians who in the same year suffered martyrdom in Lebanon and Syria, and preferred to die rather than disavow Jesus Christ,” the Custos emphasized in his homily.
“It is a testimony to be thanked but,” he warned, “it is good not to boast of it. ‘It is a great shame for us servants of God, that the saints performed their works and we want to receive glory and honour only by talking about them,’ said St Francis (Amm VI: FF ). To paraphrase this: the martyrs who gave their life with Jesus and for Him, “We must not accept their testimony as enough and make ourselves look good telling their stories and waving their flag.”
The relic of the martyrs – the same that was present in St Peter’s Square for the canonization – had a place of honour. The Custos carried it in procession at the start of the Mass and with it gave the final blessing. For the whole of the celebration it was displayed on the altar set up for the martyrs. However, it is above all the testimony and the teaching of Manuel Ruiz and his companions that must be at the centre of the life of the friars and of the faithful.
“They show us that it is possible to live to the fullest a complete and trusting abandonment in God, even in the middle of difficult situations, unjust persecution and innocent suffering,” the Custos emphasized. “They tell us that living and loving in this radical way is possible, it is not idealism, it is not utopia. On the contrary, loving to the extent of giving your life is the most authentic way of being Christians.”
And if everyone is not called to the martyrdom of blood, “there is also the martyrdom of everyday life, which is achieved through being small and being at the service of everyone for the love of God.” This was the “style of service” of these saints, as Pope Francis recalled and that the Custos exhorted those present to adopt.
Marinella Bandini