UPI/Stefano Spaziani
VATICAN CITY, May 12 (UPI) — Pope Francis Sunday canonized his first saints of his papacy at mass in St. Peter’s Square, officials said.
Thousands of people attended the mass during which Francis formally named about 800 Italian martyrs who were killed in the 15th century for refusing to convert to Islam, Colombia’s Laura di Santa Caterina da Siena Montoya y Upeguila, and Mexico’s Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala, as saints, Sky News reported.
The two women founded congregations in their regions and devoted their lived to helping the poor. Both of them died in the 20th century.
The Italian martyrs were killed by Ottoman forces in 1480 by Ottoman forces.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
1 thought on “Pope canonizes first saints of his papacy: 800 Italian martyrs killed in 15th century for refusing to convert to Islam”
Nothing much has changed since the 15th century. Radical Islam continues to be the biggest threat to our country, nothing else comes close.