Pinoy priest Jose Maria to be beatified in Spain in October - July 20, 2013

After Saints Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod, the Philippines may have another saint as the Vatican announced that Franciscan Capuchin Father Jose Maria de Manila (Eugenio Saz-Orozco) will be beatified on October 13.

 

Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, will lead the beatification ceremony in Tarragona, Spain.
 

Once he is beatified in Tarragona, Spain on October 13, Father Jose will be known as “Blessed Jose Maria de Manila,” the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said in a news report on its website.

 

"Father Jose is among the 500 Spanish martyrs who died in the religious persecution of the 1930s who are awaiting beatification," the CBCP said.

 

Included in this group are 32 Capuchins, including 20 priests and 12 lay religious brothers.

 

Leading the beatification ceremony will be Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, on behalf of Pope Francis.

 

Father Jose was born to Don Eugenio Saz-Orozco, the last Spanish mayor of Manila, and Doña Feliza Mortera y Camacho in Manila on September 5, 1880.

 

However, Fr. Eugenio Lopez, Provincial Minister of the Capuchin Philippine Province, said Father Jose’s baptismal certificate could not be produced because it was burned during the “Liberation of Manila.”

 

“But his school records from the UST (University of Santo Tomas) showed he is ‘natural de Manila’ (natural-born citizen of Manila). All his biographies from Spain also showed he was born in Manila,” Lopez said.

 

Early years

 

Father Jose spent his first years of education at the Ateneo de Manila University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran and UST.

 

He stayed in the Philippines until he was 16, and pursued further studies in Spain.

 

Despite his parents' objections, he fulfilled his desire to become a Capuchin priest.

 

He had his simple profession in Lecaroz (Navarra, Spain) on October 4, 1905, his solemn profession on October 18, 1908 and was ordained a priest on November 30, 1910.

 

Pinoy at heart

 

Lopez said Father Jose “remained a Filipino at heart” while in Spain, wishing to return to the Philippines to serve the local Church.

 

“Circumstances, however, prevented him to fulfill his dream of coming back to the land of his birth, yet he still offered his life for the Gospel he zealously preached in Spain and longed to proclaim in his native land,” he added.

 

On July 20, 1936 due to the savage acts by anarchist and Marxist troops against the Christian religion and their ministers, several religious, including Father Jose, were forced to abandon their convents in Madrid.

 

On August 17, 1936 the Filipino priest was executed at the gardens of the Cuartel de la Montaña, a military building in Madrid.

 

Ask him for prayers

 

Lopez noted that in cases of martyrdom, the miracle required for beatification can be waived - but not for canonization.

 

“For beatification of a martyr who died because of ‘odium fidei’ (out of hatred for the faith), a miracle is no longer needed,” said Lopez.

 

“But for canonization, a miracle is needed. So let’s start asking for his intercession,” he said.

 

In the meantime, Lopez said the Capuchins in the Philippines will start introducing and promoting the devotion to Father Jose in parishes across the country. - VVP, GMA News