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During theSpanish Civil War Catholic people faced persecution from theRepublican faction of the war, in part due to their support of thenationalists and therecently abolished monarchy. TheCatholic Church venerates them asmartyrs.^[2] More than 6,800 clerics and other Catholic people were killed in what has been dubbed theRed Terror. As of November 2023, 2,129 Spanish martyrs have beenbeatified; 11 of them beingcanonized. For some 2,000 additional martyrs, the beatification process is underway.

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During the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, the Catholic Church in Spain supported and was strongly supported by and associated with the Spanish monarchy. TheSecond Spanish Republic saw an alternation of leftist and conservative coalition governments between 1931 and 1936. Amidst the disorder caused by the military coup of July 1936, many supporters of the Republican government pointed their weapons against individuals they considered local reactionaries, including priests and nuns.

A paradoxical case for foreign Catholics was that of theBasque Nationalist Party, at the time a Catholic party from the Basque areas, who after some hesitation supported the Republican government in exchange foran autonomous government in the Basque Country. Although virtually every other group on the Republican side was involved in theanticlerical persecution, the Basques did not play a part.^[3] The Vatican diplomacy tried to orient them to the National side, explicitly supported by CardinalIsidro Goma y Tomas, but the BNP feared the centralism of the Nationals. SomeCatalan nationalists also found themselves in the same situation, such as members of deUnió Democràtica de Catalunya party whose most relevant leader,Manuel Carrasco i Formiguera was killed by theNationalists inBurgos in 1938.

During theSpanish Civil War of 1936–1939, and especially in the early months of the conflict, individual clergymen were executed while entire religious communities were persecuted, leading to a death toll of 13bishops, 4,172 diocesan priests and seminarians, 2,364 monks and friars and 283 nuns, for a total of 6,832 clerical victims, as part of what is referred to asSpain'sRed Terror,^[4] which has been described as "the greatest anticlerical bloodletting Europe has ever seen".^[5]

Pope John Paul II beatified 473 martyrs in the years 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2001. Some233 executed clergy were beatified by John Paul II on 11 March 2001.^[6] In 1999 he also canonizeda Christian Brother^[7] and the nineMartyrs of Turon, the first group of Spanish Civil War martyrs to reach sainthood.^[8] Regarding the selection of Candidates, ArchbishopEdward Novack from theCongregation of Saints explained in an interview withL'Osservatore Romano: "Ideologies such as Nazism or Communism serve as a context of martyrdom, but in the foreground the person stands out with his conduct, and, case by case, it is important that the people among whom the person lived should affirm and recognize his fame as a martyr and then pray to him, obtaining graces. It is not so much ideologies that concern us, as the sense of faith of the People of God, who judge the person's behavior."^[9]

Benedict XVI beatified 530 martyrs in the years 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2011, with the biggest being the 498 Spanish martyrs in October 2007,^[10] in the largest beatification ceremony in the history of the Catholic Church.^[11] In this group of people, the Vatican has not includedall Spanish martyrs, nor any of the 16 priests who were executed by the nationalist side in the first years of the war. This decision has caused numerous criticisms from surviving family members and several political organisations in Spain.^[12]

The beatification recognized the extraordinary fate and often brutal death of the persons involved. Some have criticized the beatifications as dishonoring non-clergy who were also killed in the war, and as being an attempt to draw attention away from the church's support of Franco (some quarters of the Church called the Nationalist cause a "crusade").^[13] Within Spain, the Civil War still raises high emotions. The act of beatification has also coincided in time with the debate on theLaw of Historical Memory (about the treatment of the victims of the war and its aftermath) promoted by the Spanish Government.

Responding to the criticism, the Vatican has described the October 2007 beatifications as relating to personal virtues and holiness, not ideology. They are not about "resentment but ... reconciliation". The Spanish government has supported the beatifications, sending Foreign MinisterMiguel Ángel Moratinos to attend the ceremony.^[14]Among those present was Juan Andrés Torres Mora, a relative of one of the martyrs and the Spanish MP who had debated the memory law for PSOE.^[15]

The October 2007 beatifications have brought the number of martyred persons beatified by the Church to 977, eleven of whom have been canonized as saints. Because of the extent of the persecution, many more cases could be proposed; as many as 10,000 according to Catholic Church sources. The process for beatification has already been initiated for about 2,000 people.^[11]

At 28 October 2007 beatifications, Pope Benedict underscored the call to sanctity for all Christians, saying it was "realistic possibility for the entire Christian people".^[16] He also noted, "This martyrdom in ordinary life is an important witness in today's secularized society."^[16]

Pope Francis beatified 522 martyrs on 13 October 2013, atTarragona,Spain; among them wasEugenio Sanz-Orozco Mortera fromManila,Philippines, who became the firstFilipino martyr of theSpanish Civil War.^[17] He also approved additional beatifications for Spanish martyrs that took place for a priest on 1 November 2014 as well as two sets of group martyrs on both 5 September 2015 and 3 October 2015. The pope also approved the beatification of 26Capuchin martyrs, which took place on 21 November 2015. The beatification for Valentín Palencia Marquina and his four companions took place on 23 April 2016 in Burgos.^[18]

The 114 Almerian martyrs were beatified on 25 March 2017, and Antonio Arribas Hortigüela and his six companions were beatified on 6 May 2017 in Girona.^[19][20] The beatification of Mateo Casals Mas & 108 companions were beatified in Barcelona on 21 October 2017 and Vicenç Queralt Lloret & 20 companions as well as José Maria Fernández Sánchez & 38 companions were beatified in Madrid on 11 November 2017. The beatification of Teodoro Illera del Olmo & 15 Companions was held on 10 November 2018. The beatification of Ángel Cuartas Cristobal and his 8 companions was held in Oviedo on 9 March 2019 while María Isabel Lacaba Andia and her 13 companions were beatified in Madrid on 22 June 2019. María Pilar Gullón Yturriaga and 2 companions was beatified in Astorga on 29 May 2021. The beatification of Juan Elías Medina and 126 companions will be held in Córdoba on 16 October 2021, Francisco Cástor Sojo López and 3 companions in Tortosa on 30 October 2021 Benet Domènech Bonet & 2 companions in Barcelona on 6 November 2021 The beatifications of Cayetano Giménez Martín & 15 Companions in Granada on 26 February 2022, Angel Marina Álvarez & 19 Companions, Isabel Sánchez Romero, Juan Aguilar Donis & 5 Companions in Almería on 18 June 2022 and Vicente Nicasio Renuncio Toribio & 11 Companions in Madrid on 22 October 2022.^{[citation needed]}

One of the most notable cases has centered on Cruz Laplana y Laguna,Bishop of Cuenca, a well-known supporter of the monarchist regime. After the proclamation of the Second Republic he carried out a number of right-wing political campaigns throughout the province, and had established close contacts with military officials such as GeneralJoaquín Fanjul, a supporter of theNationalist rebellion. Laplana y Laguna was described by his biographer as "supreme advisor" to the general, as well as being closely involved with theFalange. In 1936 he personally endorsed Falangista leaderJosé Antonio Primo de Rivera as a candidate in the 1936 local elections. When the Nationalist uprising in Cuenca failed, Laplana y Lagun was arrested by Republican militiamen for treason. He was tried for conspiring against the Republican government and executed on 8 August.^[21]

Another is Fulgencio Martínez, a priest in the village of La Paca inMurcia, who was shot after the uprising, who was reported by many locals to be closely allied to the local landowners. Over several days before the uprising, Father Fulgencio met with these landowners in the village casino—the hub of social life for the local elites in rural Spain—to organize support for the rebellion. He offered guns and money to anyone who would join an improvised militia. On 18 July, the day of the uprising, Father Fulgencio was among the persons who went through the village streets on lorries, rallying support for the uprising with shouts of"Viva el Ejército!" ("Long live the Army") and"VivaGeneral Queipo de Llano!"^[22]

Public statements by some of these clerics have also been widely publicised as a form of criticism against their beatification. Rigoberto Domenech,Archbishop of Zaragoza, declared publicly on 11 August 1936 that the military uprising was to be supported, and its defensive actions approved, because "it is not done in the service of anarchy, but in the benefit of order, fatherland, and religion" in response to theRed Terror. Another statement was that given in November 1938 by Leopoldo Eijo Garay, Bishop of Madrid-Alcalá, regarding a possible truce between Republican and rebel forces: "To tolerate democratic liberalism... would be to betray the martyrs".^[23]

Of the second, the controversy surrounding the beatification ofAugustinian FriarGabino Olaso Zabala, listed as a companion of Avelino Rodriguez Alonso, concerns his previous life. Friar Zabala was martyred during the Civil War and was beatified. Attention was called to the fact that Fr. Olaso had been a missionary in the Philippines during theKatipunan rebellion against Spanish rule, and had been accused of torturing Friar Mariano Dacanay, an alleged rebel sympathizer.^[24] However this objection ignores the Church proclamation that even sinners canrepent and turn into saints, such as in the case ofAugustine of Hippo. It also misunderstands the nature of a cause for martyrdom, where the primary factor is the person's death due to religious hatred of the faith, rather than the saintliness of his previous life.^{[citation needed]}

The third objection refers to the Church's attitude to victims ofNationalist repression. Regarding the attitude of the Vatican,Manuel Montero, lecturer of theUniversity of the Basque Country commented on 6 May 2007:

The Church, which upheld the idea of a 'NationalCrusade' in order to legitimize the military rebellion, was a belligerent part during the Civil War, even at the cost of alienating part of its members. It continues in a belligerent role in its unusual answer to theHistorical Memory Law by recurring to the beatification of 498 "martyrs" of the Civil War. The priests executed by Franco's Army are not counted among them... Its selective criteria regarding the religious persons that were part of its ranks are difficult to fathom. The priests who were victims of the republicans are "martyrs who died forgiving", but those priests who were executed by the Francoists are forgotten.^[25]

While much of Republican Spain was anti-clerical in sentiment, theBasque region, which also supported the Republic, was not; the clergy of the region stood against the Nationalist coup, and suffered accordingly. At least 16 Basque nationalist priests (among them the arch-priest ofMondragón) were killed by the Nationalists,^[26] and hundreds more were imprisoned or deported.^[27] This included several priests who tried to halt the killings.^[28] The Basque clergy wrote a letter signed by many of their priests toPope Pius XI assuring him that the Basque government was not engaging in anti-clerical violence or restricting them in anyway like the rest of the Republican parts of Spain. They also confirmed the Basque government's reports of churches being destroyed and members of the clergy being killed during Franco's bombing ofDurango andGuernica.^[29]

The martyrs of Turon were a group of eight De La Salle Brothers, and the Passionist priest who was with them, who were executed by striking miners at Turon in October 1934. This was nearly two years before the outbreak of the civil war, therefore they are not technically martyrs of the Spanish Civil War per se. They were beatified byPope John Paul II on 29 April 1990, and were canonized by him on 21 November 1999.

SaintInnocencio of Mary Immaculate, born Emanuele Canoura Arnau, was a member of thePassionist Congregation and martyr of the Spanish Civil War. Born on 10 March 1887 in Santa Cecelia del Valle de Oro in Galicia, Spain, he died at Turon, with his eight companions, on 9 October 1934. He was beatified on 29 April 1990 and was canonized byPope John Paul II on 21 November 1999.

Jaime Hilario Barbal, born Manuel Barbal Cosán, was raised in a pious and hardworking family near the Pyrenees mountains. Entered the seminary at age 12, but when his hearing began to fail in his teens, he was sent home. Joined the Brothers of the Christian Schools at age 19, entering the novitiate on 24 February 1917 at Irun, Spain, taking the name Jaime Hilario. Exceptional teacher and catechist, he believed strongly in the value of universal education, especially for the poor. However, his hearing problems grew worse, and in the early 1930s, he was forced to retire from teaching, and began work in the garden at the La Salle house at San Jose, Tarragona, Spain. Imprisoned in July 1936 at Mollerosa, Spain when the Spanish Civil War broke out and religious people were swept from the street. Transferred to Tarragona in December, then confined on a prison ship with some other religious people. Convicted on 15 January 1937 of being a Christian Brother. Two rounds of volley fire from a firing squad did not kill him, possibly because some of the soldiers intentionally shot wide; their commander then murdered Jaime with five shots at close range. First of the 97 La Salle Brothers killed in Catalonia, Spain during the Spanish Civil War to be recognized as a martyr. He was beatified on 29 April 1990, and was canonized byPope John Paul II on 21 November 1999.

He was a priest, the founder of theTeresian Association and a Martyr of the Spanish civil war. He was beatified on 10 October 1993 and canonized on 4 May 2003.

They were a group of priests and brothers of thePassionist Congregation killed by Republican forces during theSpanish Civil War. They werebeatified byPope John Paul II on 1 October 1989. Eyewitnesses reported that all of the Passionists had forgiven their murderers before they died. A witness to the murder of Father Niceforo reported that after being shot the priest turned his eyes to heaven then turned and smiled at his murderers. At this point one of them, now more infuriated than ever, shouted:

What, are you still smiling?^[30]

With that he shot him at point blank range.

Eugenio Sanz-Orozco Mortera (Jose Maria of Manila) was born on 5 September 1880 in Manila, Philippines. He was a Franciscan Capuchin priest. He died a martyr on 17 August 1936, in Madrid, Spain, during the Spanish civil war. He is venerated in the Catholic Church, which celebrates his feast on 6 November. He was beatified on 13 October 2013.

Bartolomé Blanco Márquez was born inCordoba, Spain in 1914. He was arrested as aCatholic leader—he was the secretary ofCatholic Action and a delegate to the Catholic Syndicates—on 18 August 1936. He was executed on 2 October 1936, at age 21, while he cried out, "Long liveChrist the King!" Born in Pozoblanco 25 November 1914, Bartolome was orphaned as a child, and raised by family with whom he worked. He was an excellent student, studying under the tutelage of theSalesians.

She was a religious, the member of the same congregation and also a Martyr of the Spanish civil war. She was beatified on 10 October 1993.

Pedro was educated by Jesuits. Trained as an architect, graduating in 1915. he worked on schools, churches and houses for religious. He was ordained priest in the diocese ofVitoria, Spain in 1924. He was executed on 29 August 1936. He was beatified on 1 November 2014.

Mariano was aSpanishRoman Catholicdoctor who also served as themayor forArbeca from 1924 until March 1930. He died on 13 August 1936. He was beatified on 23 March 2019.

Joan was a young layperson of theArchdiocese of Barcelona. He died on 11 September 1936. He was beatified on 7 November 2020.

Isabel was a religious from theDominican Order. She died on 15 February 1937. She was beatified on 18 June 2022.

(*) means they are Canonized.

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