That easy smile. The bright, joyful eyes. The sweet calmness of an easy summer day. This picture could easily be a vintage family photograph; a snapshot from a joyous party or a farmer, just come in from the his fields, enlivened by the good work his hands.
Instead, it is a picture of a man about to die. So who is this man and why is he smiling?
The man is Blessed Martín Martínez Pascual, a young Spanish priest of just 25 years, about to be executed only for being a Catholic Priest.
He was the son of a Spanish carpenter, baptized at one day, and grew up a very devout child. He became a priest and joined the worker priest movement in Spain before he began teaching in the seminary Colegio San José de Murcia, teaching Latin in the seminary in Murcia, Spain where he was considered an excellent instructor, beloved by his students.
When the terrors of the Spanish Civil War began, Blessed Martin took all of the consecrated hosts from the chapel, and went into hiding living in barns, caves, and haystacks. He evaded the militia for a few days but was caught and imprisoned where he spent his remaining time ministering to other prisoners, hearing confessions, and distributing the Eucharist he had rescued.
When the time of his execution came, he was asked if he would like to face away from the rifles during his execution, he said “no”. When asked if he wanted to say anything, he said gave them a blessing and said “I only give you my blessing that God does not take into account the madness that you commit.”
Then he shouted “VIVA CRISTO REY!”
Right before being shot, he smiled for the photographer, a Republican, called Hans Guttman, who took a couple of photographs of him. In his eyes, you can see a foretaste of eternity. You can see the joy of a faithful priest.
Blessed Martin was beatified on the 1st October 1995 by Pope Saint John Paul II. His feast day is the 18th August. Blessed Martin, Ora Pro Nobis! Viva Christo Rey!
This is so wonderful. Thank you for writing about him.
In the name of Christ you sacrifice your life…..holy be your name.
Rarely are Protestant clerics so ready to die for Chirst.
Not a fair thing to say at all! Every sincere, baptized follower of Jusus understands the power of the Gospel, and the primacy of Christ in their lives. God bless ANY baptized Christian who makes such an ultimate sacrifice. They are ALL holy martyrs!
I imagine such a statement was made because of the constant, unrelenting drumbeat of anticatholicism. Vitriolic, hateful attacks and false claims against us Catholics is hurtful. Stating that ours isnt a Christian religion, that we sin all week and then go to confession, we don’t have a personal relationship with Christ, we worship statues and the Blessed Mother, etc. etc, etc. We arent attacking Protestants, we’re just trying to be good Christians while our nuns and priests are often being murdered. These are people who dedicate their entire lives to God and the service of others.
We never hear words from our detractors regarding these frequent slaughters nor do we see news very often about Protestants being martyred for love of Christ in like manner.
Anticatholics need to examine their hearts and behave more Christlike toward us.
Sometimes it doesn’t take long for a religious thread to degenerate into loveless sectarianism . . . let’s love each other–and forgive each other!
Amen!
I am sorry that they did not hear your hurt nor listen to what you actually said, Kate.
Very well said, I applaud you Kate.
Kate. ..you know who you are and Christ does too. May he give you, me and all Catholics the Holy Spirit of Power and Grace to witness to Him in such a way that the critics will either have to shut up or continue to criticise at the risk of totally losing their own followership.
Agree with you Paul
Well said.
I am dumbfounded over the debates, fights, and wars over the gospel, the TRUTH, the absolute foundation of LIFE.
God IS.
No debate. Nothing to argue about.
Point blank.
Judging all for the actions of a few is just as ridiculous.
Please. Let’s not take that route. Let’s remember Dietrich Bonhoeffer, killed for resisting Hitler, or James Reeb, murdered campaigning for civil rights in Selma. Protestant clergy love their fellow humans and honor God as well.
Its all about laying one’s life in the name of Jesus Christ. Not resisting dictatorship nor fighting for civil rights. Martyrdom is totally way different from heroism. It is a higher form of sacrifice among Christians. And Catholics, time and time again demonstrated it all across the globe…
I’m sorry, but this statement is not true at all. Consider The Rev. Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer for example. Persecuted and imprisoned for his beliefs and his writings by the Gestapo, he continued to write up until the day he was executed, April 9, 1945. As he was taken out to be executed, he was stripped and then asked if he was frightened because he shivering. He replied that he was not frightened, only cold. He then blessed his executioners and was hanged. Lutheran and other Protestant Pastors, along with Roman Catholic Priests, marched in the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s. It was a Lutheran Pastor who was beaten to death after the second attempt to cross the bridge on the Selma march. None of us have singular claim on martyrdom for faith. Their have been martyrs for the faith from all walks of life and from all denominations. This particular story moved me tremendously, and I pray for all those who face death for their beliefs. But we would be better served in viewing ourselves and our brothers and sisters who have died for their beliefs in the unity of Christianity rather than in the light of particular denominational polity. Blessings and the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all +.
Forgive me. I failed to include the most significant Protestant Pastor to die for his beliefs and for his leadership when I mentioned the Civil Rights movement. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was also martyred in 1968. But again, I pray that we can all come together as Christians and recognize the sacrifices of all those who have suffered and died for their beliefs, in the name of Our Lord, and for the people of God regardless of denominational polity. Blessings once again +.
The schism of Martin Luther?
Rev. Brettell, while there is no doubt that Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered, he was not murdered for his faith in Christ. He was murdered for advancing the cause of civil rights for African Americans. He was a Christian but he was not martyred for his faith in Jesus. I thank you for your overall notion that we would be better served by not invoking denominational polity. But Latin Rite Catholicism is not a denomination; it is pre-denominational. Denominations began with Martin Luther when he dishonored his Priestly vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience that he freely and willingly took at his ordination as an Augustinian Priest in Erfurt. The damage he and his actions have wrought are incalculable.
Mr. Christman–while this particularly thread is not the appropriate thread to discuss your points, I would be happy to enter into a discussion of them with you in private. You are welcome to contact me at pastordanbrettell@ptd.net. Blessings my friend.
You are correct,and Bonhoffer lives on today in the annals of history .I am Catholic .
a good write up
What about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor executed by the Nazis
He seems to be the only one anybody can think of.
You obviously know nothing about Protestant ministers and clergy who have died around the world for their faith and the hundreds of Protestant clergy murdered and burned st the stake by the Roman Catholic Church, read your own history
When was he born? Which year did he die?
Born in 1910 and died August 1936
[…] uCatholic […]
yey, lets sell some crap jewellry in the name of whoever 😀
If there is birth there is death…It is the only certainty in life..He lived his life to spread the gospel of christ…He had the courage to face the death squad with a smile
So happy to learn about him, especially since we share the same name!
Granted this was in the 20’s but this saint who was honored yesterday, was a martyr for Jesus Christ – typical of many I referred to who loved and served Our Lord and we’re murdered for it. As a Catholic it is terrible to hear the disgusting things people say about our faith. I grew up knowing and being educated by holy nuns and priests and God fearing parents. We were never allowed to talk against another religion.
http://jesusislord.co.uk/sainthood-blessed-jose-sanchez-del-rio/
Evil human beings killing eachother for all sorts of reasons…some by Nazis…some by racists…others just out enjoying to killing.Sadly most of these victims are not martyrs dying for christ or any theological reason.They were murdered by their fellow humans.Christ is NOT god…you can’t be a martyr for a man who died on the cross!The torah forbids us to ascribe an image to the face of god.Turn from your idolatory….this is not MY opinion this is the decree of god…so don’t write back and criticize me …if you do you are contravening the first commandment.
[…] This Man Is About To Die… Why Is He Smiling? […]
The man in the picture was thought to be a martyr priest. It is a picture of a soldier fighting with the military against the Franco group in Spain.
No he is not. He was a “worker” priest, and killed by the Republicans (marxists), one of whom is standing next to him.
What a beautiful Christian this priest was and what a great example of faith to all of us. As for the comments disparaging Protestants, grow up! They are our brothers and sisters and deserve our respect.
“Right before he was shot, he smiled for the photographer, a ‘Republican’…” What does that mean? Why is it important to tell us that that the photographer was a Republican in the article? Without historical references as to why it’s very suspicious.
It’s not suspicious, it’s history. The Republicans killed 5000 priests in the Spanish Civil War. This priest is one of them. But he smiled and forgave his killers, and then photographed this picture and also his execution.
“who then” not “and then”
Yes, it would have been appropriate in today’s political climate for the article to clarify that the term “Republican” in this article is referring to an entirely different, Marxist party of 1930s Spain, not the current party in the U.S.
I am interested in this history. It appears there is some question that this is actually a photo of Martínez Pascual, let alone a photo shot before his execution. Further, most clergy executed during the Spanish Civil War weren’t executed for their faith, or simply because they were Roman Catholic, they were executed because they acted as propagandists and active supporters for the fascist monarchist General Francisco Franco who successfully overthrew the elected Republican government in 1939. Franco was an ally of Nazi Germany and approved the first carpet bombing of a civilian town, Guernica (the subject of one of Picasso’s most famous paintings). After he came to power, Franco executed an estimated 200,000 Spaniards between 1939 and 1943 and placed Spain under military rule for 36 years. The role of the Church in the politics that led to the overthrow of the Republic, and the executions that followed Franco’s defeat of the Republicans needs to always accompany the story of this priest.
http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1056
We have had thousands of Protestants killed or put in the gulags by the Russian communists we had the young Baptist missionaries killed by the Indian head hunters in the jungles of South America, in the 500 anniversary of the Protestant teformation the truth is still “The just shall live by faith” and our belief in what the Bible says Christ alone, Faith alone, Holy Spirit alone, Bible alone, all Glory to God Alone, These are not Roman teachings but Biblical teachings and after 500 years we are still protestors
How can each one of these be alone ? That doesn’t make reasonable sense. Each one of these People of the TRINITY are not ALone. those of the Trinity are not the Bible, so if it’s Holy Spirit alone and then you have the Bible alone then the Holy Spirit is not alone, The Spirit is in addition to the deposit of faith which is not alone but in the Holy Spirit and the Bible, and who gave you the Bible ? It did not drop from the sky complete and formed , the church gave you the Bible, and she didn’t do it alone
Sorry, Bruce. Sola fide and sola scriptura are not in the Bible. Martin Luther added “alone” to Romans 3:28 to conform to his doctrine, and removed 7 books that had been canonical since 403 AD. Your assertions about Catholic beliefs are incorrect. “Bible alone?” How about “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by WORD, or our epistle.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15) The Roman Catholic Church compiled, translated, and disseminated the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit long before the Protestant reformation.
Saint Martin, pray for us Amen
May God help us to discard the aspects of our history which will make us less Christlike but promote love in the body of Christ through Christ our Lord.
Unfortunately, the photo do not represent the person in question. watch the documentary that reveals the truth.
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07x170g/the-murdered-handsome-priest-with-a-decades-long-secret