In a moving ceremony that took place this morning in Tarragona, Spain, 522 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War were beatified in front of a large cheering crowd, many of whom were descendants of relatives of the victims.
Hundreds of Catholics killed during the bloody Spanish Civil War (1936-1938) have already been beatified. Pope Benedict XVI’s October 2007 beatification of 498 Spanish martyrs was one of the largest beatifications ever conducted.
Considered one of the most brutal religious persecutions in modern history, the atrocities against, and later the murders, of innocent and defenseless bishops, priests, nuns and seminarians commenced around 1931, five years beforehand, including the burning and demolishing of numerous churches, monasteries and religious art treasures.
Catholicism Pure & Simple 