JOHN PAUL II CALLS FOR END TO TERRORISM IN SPAIN

VATICAN CITY, MAR 11, 2001, (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Square, the Pope beatified Jose Aparicio Sanz, priest, and 232 companions, martyrs during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), at the same time making a strong appeal for an end to terrorism in Spain.

During the same ceremony two Uruguayan lay people were also beatified, the first Blesseds from this country. They are Dolores and Consuelo Aguiar-Mella Diaz, sisters, whose father was Spanish and mother was Uruguayan.

"I wish to entrust to the intercession of the new Blesseds," the Pope said in his homily, "an intention rooted profoundly in your hearts: the end to terrorism in Spain." At these words the 30,000 pilgrims present rose to their feet and applauded. He went on: "Terrorism, which springs from hatred, and in turn nourishes it, is radically unjust and increases situations of injustice, gravely offending God, dignity, and the rights of individuals. With terror, man always ends in defeat! No motive, no cause, no ideology can justify it. Only peace builds up peoples. Terror is the enemy of humanity."

John Paul II recalled that the new Blesseds, secular priests, religious, fathers and mothers of families, and lay youth, were killed "for being Christians, for their faith in Christ, for being active members of the Church. All of them, as we saw in the canonical processes for the declaration of martyrdom, sincerely forgave their aggressors before dying."

Referring to the martyrdom of the Blesseds, John Paul II spoke of the example of Maria Teresa Ferragud, "arrested at the age of 83, together with her four daughters who were contemplative religious. On October 25, 1936, the feast of Christ the King, she asked to accompany her daughters in martyrdom and to be killed last in order to be able to encourage them to die for the faith. Her faith greatly affected her killers, who exclaimed "'She is a true saint'."

"The new Blesseds, elevated today to the glory of the altars, were not involved in political or ideological battles," the Pope emphasized. "They did not intend to be involved in such battles. Many of you who are relatives and today participate with great joy in this beatification ceremony well know this. They died solely for religious reasons."

The Holy Father concluded, exclaiming: "May their blessed memory dispel forever from Spanish soil every form of violence, hatred, and resentment! May all, and especially youth, be able to experience the blessing of peace in freedom: peace always, peace with all and for all!".

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