Ceferino Giménez Malla

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Ceferino Giménez Malla

Ceferino Giménez Malla , known by the nickname "El Pele", also Zephyrinus Giménez Malla (* 26 August 1861 in de Benavent of Segrià , province of Lleida , Spain , † 8. August 1936 in Barbastro , Spain) was a martyr of the Roman Catholic Church . He was a member of the Roma and was the first of his people to be beatified in 1997 .

Life

Ceferino Giménez Malla came from the Kalé people , a subgroup of the Roma. He was the son of Josefa Malla and Juan Jiménez. As a young man, he traveled with his clan through northeastern Spain and southern France . The nomadic life did not allow education; he never learned to read or write, but he was still considered very intelligent and nature-loving. He was baptized as an adult and married in 1912, at the age of 51, the blind 53-year-old Romni Teresa Jiménez Castro, who was born in Lérida. He settled in Barbastro as a mule dealer and became a successful businessman. In 1915 a deep friendship developed with Nicolas Santosa de Otto Escuerda. The later professor taught civil and canon law at the University of Saragossa . Cerefino and Nicolas traveled through Spain together; through this he got to know some dignitaries of Barbastro, who included lawyers, politicians, doctors and business people. At the beginning of the 1920s he was accepted into the brotherhood Archicofradia de los Jueves Eucarísticos (in German: Community of the Eucharistic Thursdays ). Its members included the most influential men in the city. His commitment and helpfulness led to his being elected to the city ​​council of Barbastro. Ceferino made peace within his ethnic group and helped them solve problems. After the death of his wife, he intensified his spiritual life. In the parish he worked as a catechist , helper in Holy Mass , choir director and promoted the rosary prayers . His approach to life and his open heart earned him the recognition of his fellow men and the Bishop of Barbastro Emilio Jiménez valued his advice.

martyrdom

In 1926 he joined the Third Order of the Dominicans and from 1931 took part in the nocturnal hours of worship. During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) there was momentous persecution of Catholic priests by the Republicans , as well as bans on going to church in public and ringing bells. During this time, Ceferino granted a clergyman assistance and refuge. He was finally discovered, arrested and shot by a squad between August 8 and 9, 1936 with a total of 19 priests, monks and lay Catholics in the Barbastro cemetery . He had previously forbidden any help to escape. With a rosary in hand, he died with the last words “Long live Christ the King!” His body was buried in an anonymous grave. He was later exhumed and buried at the side of his wife, who died in 1922.

Canonization

Bishop Ambrosio Echebarria Arroita of Barbastro-Monzón drove the initiation of Malla's canonization during his tenure (1974-1999) . On November 27, 1993, the beatification process began. Ceferino Giménez Malla was beatified on May 4, 1997 by Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) as the first Roma, the day of remembrance of the Catholic Church was set on August 2.

Legends and Guesses

Not all life descriptions and facts about Ceferino are historically proven and proven. Much of the information was put together from statements made by his relatives, acquaintances and priests to create a picture of life. His place and date of birth are disputed; According to some sources, it is said to be Benavente de Segrià in the province of Lérida, while other sources mention the village of Alcolea de Cinca near Barbostro in Huesca . The year of his birth is also controversial with 1861 or 1865. He is said to have helped his uncle with basket weaving while his clan was hiking. To support his family, he is said to have moved to the villages as a beggar boy . The following story, which dates back to 1919, is exemplary of Ceferino's behavior.

“A former mayor, Rafael Jordán, had tuberculosis and one day he had a seizure while traveling abroad and blood oozed from his mouth. Despite the high risk of infection, Ceferino did not hesitate for a second. He took the former mayor on his back, carried him home and spoke reassuringly to him. For his deed he enjoyed the admiration of the entire neighborhood. Jordan's brother Simón later went to Ceferino to show his appreciation for his help. He offered him a trip to France; there he could buy mules cheaply and sell them for a profit. A short time later, Ceferino set off with a fairly large sum of money, and when the deal was over he rushed home not only to return Simón the money he had borrowed, but also to share the profit with him. Simón Jordán gratefully declined this generous offer. "

- Ángel M. Fandosa: Un Gitano con madera de Santo. Barcelona 1973.

Appreciation

40,000 believers took part in the beatification in St. Peter's Square in Rome on May 4, 1997 , in his address the Pope said: “Blessed Ceferino Jiménez Malla sowed understanding and solidarity among the Roma. In conflicts he acted as a mediator and strengthened relations between Roma and non-Roma. "

On the 150th birthday and the 75th anniversary of his martyrdom his Pope Benedict XVI. (2005-2013) with the words:

“Friendship with the Lord made this martyr a true witness of faith and love. With the same intensity with which he worshiped God and discovered his presence in every person and in every event, Blessed Ceferino loved the Church and her Pastors. As a Franciscan priest, he remained true to his Gypsy identity, ethnicity and history. Married according to the tradition of the Kalé, he and his wife decided to validate the union in the Church through the sacrament of marriage. His deep religiosity found expression in his daily participation in Holy Mass and in praying the rosary. "

- Pope Benedict XVI.

In Slovakia in 2008 was the first school opened in the name of Blessed Ceferino Jimenez. Also in Slovakia, in Postarka near Bardejov , is the first church dedicated to Blessed Ceferino Jimenez Malla.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ G. New Yılık: questions of style. Some reflections (not only) on the lay people in the order of the preachers. In: W. Hoyer (Ed.): God praise, bless, proclaim. Freiburg 2014, pp. 216–249; K. Springer: Sermon in the world. About the history of the Dominican lay people. In: Kontakt 42 (2014), 17-20; http://dominikanische-laien.de/?page_id=88
  2. ↑ To the pilgrims who came to Rome for the beatification (May 5, 1997) Text on the Vatican website
  3. ^ Audience for the representatives of various Sinti and Roma groups, address by Pope Benedict XVI. Aula Paolo VI Saturday, June 11th 2011 Text on the Vatican website
  4. ↑ Short News Slovakia.com September 4, 2008, accessed on March 29, 2014 Short News Slovakia.com
personal data
SURNAME Giménez Malla, Ceferino
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Giménez Malla, Zephyrinus; El Pelé
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Spanish martyr, Blessed One
DATE OF BIRTH August 26, 1861
PLACE OF BIRTH Benavent de Segrià , Lleida Province, Spain
DATE OF DEATH August 8, 1936
Place of death Barbastro , Spain