José Sánchez del Río

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Statue of José Sánchez del Río.

José Sánchez del Río (born March 28, 1913 in Sahuayo , Michoacán , † February 10, 1928 in Sahuayo) fought during the Guerra Cristera on the side of the Cristeros against the anti-clerical Mexican government of President Plutarco Elías Calles . He is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church . His liturgical feast day is November 20th.

Historical background

The Mexican government founded a state church independent of Rome in February 1925 and began to implement the anti-clerical provisions of the 1917 constitution. In addition, President Plutarco Elias Calles issued the so-called Ley Calles in 1926, which safeguards the freedom of the Catholic Church e.g. B. severely restricted by celibacy and the prohibition of many religious orders. Furthermore, by order of the president, church property was confiscated, religious schools closed and priests either exiled or murdered. All this led to the fact that resistance was organized in the Catholic population of Mexico and thus the uprising movement of the Cristeros emerged and the Guerra Cristera broke out.

Life

When the Guerra Cristera broke out in 1926, José Sánchez del Río wanted to join the Cristeros like his brothers. After he was initially refused admission in his hometown of Sahuayo, he managed to convince General Prudencio Mendoza of his admission to the Cristeros in Cotija, a few kilometers away. He was then placed under the command of General Rubén Guízar Morfin, who among other things gave him the task of standard bearer.

During a fight, the boy was arrested on February 6, 1928. In custody, soldiers tried in vain to dissuade him from his Catholic faith.

On February 10, 1928, the soles of José's feet were slit and he was forced to walk back and forth on bare salt. In the end, on his battered feet, he had to walk the long walk to his place of execution in severe pain. On the way he was offered: “If you shout 'Death, Christ the King!', Then we will spare you.” But José exclaimed: “Viva Cristo Rey! Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe! ”At the Sahuayo cemetery they tried in vain to persuade him to apostasy again. He was then shot in the head . Having fallen to the ground, he dying, drew a cross on the ground with his blood-smeared fingers and kissed it. His execution was witnessed with his own eyes by the later founder of the Legionaries of Christ , Marcial Maciel .

The remains of José Sánchez del Rio were interred in the Sacred Heart Church of his native Sahuayo.

Canonization process

He was on November 20, 2005 in the Estadio Jalisco of Guadalajara on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. Beatified together with twelve other Mexican martyrs . Then the process of canonization was initiated. On January 22, 2016, Pope Francis confirmed a miracle healing attributed to the intercession of José Sánchez del Ríos as a crucial prerequisite for canonization. On October 16, 2016, he was canonized by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square in Rome. His liturgical feast day is November 20th.

Representation in the film

In 2012, the film For Greater Glory (with Andy García and Eva Longoria among others ) treated the Guerra Cristera as well as the martyrdom of José Sánchez del Rio. The film has also been available on DVD in Germany since February 2016 under the title “Gottes General - Battle for Freedom”.

See also

literature

Stefan Wirth: The new saints of the Catholic Church. Volume 7, Kißlegg-Immenried 2011, p. 171. ISBN 978-3-7171-1208-2

swell

  1. ↑ http://www.kath-info.de/rudigier.html
  2. ↑ http://www.zenit.org/de/articles/jose-luis-sanchez-14-jahre-und-martyrer
  3. ↑ http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/14_yearold_mexican_martyr_to_be_beatified_sunday/
  4. ^ Promulgazione di Decreti della Congregazione delle Cause dei Santi. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office , January 22, 2016, accessed January 22, 2016 (Italian).
  5. ↑ Santa Messa con il Rito di Canonizzazione di 7 Beati. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office, October 16, 2016, accessed October 16, 2016 (Italian).
personal data
SURNAME Sánchez del Río, José
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Mexican martyr of the Catholic Church, saint
DATE OF BIRTH March 28, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Sahuayo , Michoacan
DATE OF DEATH February 10, 1928
Place of death Sahuayo , Michoacan