Pope Francis has formally recognized that five Franciscan missionaries who served in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia were killed for their faith, paving the way for their beatification. The five Spanish Franciscans, Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola, were killed in 1597 after confronting a local Indigenous leader about his decision to take a second wife.
Pope Francis has formally recognized that five Franciscan missionaries who served in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia were killed for their faith. By signing a decree in the sainthood cause of the Georgia martyrs on January 27th, the pope paved the way for their beatification, though a specific date for the ceremony was not immediately announced.
The Spanish Franciscans, Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola were killed between September 14th and September 17th, 1597. The catalyst for their deaths was Father de Corpa's confrontation with a young Indigenous man named Juanillo, who was the heir to a Guale chiefdom. Juanillo, who was already baptized as a Christian, was considering taking a second wife. Father de Corpa, adhering to Christian teachings, told Juanillo that as a baptized Christian, he could not take a second wife and further stated that he would oppose his succession as village chief if he persisted in this choice. This confrontation enraged Juanillo, leading him and his band of men to kill the priest with a stone hatchet at the Mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Tolomato, located near modern-day Eulonia, Georgia. This act of violence spurred them to attack the other Franciscan missionaries living and ministering along the Georgia coast, ultimately resulting in the deaths of all five friars. Recounting the story of the Georgia martyrs on its website, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints explained that Father de Corpa not only reprimanded Juanillo for taking a second wife, but also told him that he would oppose his succession as village chief if he persisted in his polygamous choice.The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints emphasized that the five Franciscans were aware of the risks and dangers inherent in their missionary work, particularly in relation to their own safety. They chose to leave Spain and journey to a land and among peoples still largely unknown, driven by a profound love for Christ and a desire to serve the Church. Bishop Stephen D. Parkes of Savannah, the diocese encompassing the missions where the five friars were martyred, expressed his gratitude to all those who worked tirelessly for over 40 years to advance their cause for sainthood. He prayed that Venerable Friar Pedro de Corpa and his companions would intercede for families worldwide and inspire husbands and wives to live out the sacrament of marriage with love, truth, and fidelity.
SAINTHOOD MARTYRS FRANCISCAN MISSIONARIES GEORGIA POPE FRANCIS DICASTERY FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS
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