SUNDAY WILL MARK THE LARGEST BEATIFICATION IN HISTORY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 9, 2001 (VIS) - On Sunday, March 11, the Pope will preside over the beatification ceremony of 233 martyrs who died between 1936 and 1939 during the Spanish Civil War. In what will be the largest beatification in history, the future blesseds come from 32 dioceses, the majority from diocese of Valencia.

The persecutions took place after the proclamation of the Republic on April 14, 1931 but primarily during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). After the establishment of the Second Republic, there was an intensification of accusations against the Church, charged with having great economic power and scant social sensitivity.

The beginning of the great persecution took place in October, 1934 with the Asturian insurrection, during which priests, seminarians, and religious were assassinated. Mass assassinations, carried out by militia groups, began in July of 1936.

Among the 233 martyrs to be beatified Sunday are lay people, although the majority are religious who belonged to the following orders and religious congregations: Salesians, Scolopians, Carmelites of Charity, Capuchins, Jesuits, Dominicans, Daughters of Mary Immaculate, Franciscans, Dehonians, Tertiary Capuchins, Claretian Missionaries, Brothers of the Christian Schools, Discalced Augustinians, Agullent Capuchins, Cloistered Capuchins, Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly, and Servites.

...;BEATIFICATION SPANISH MARTYRS;...;...;VIS;20010309;Word: 200;

RETREAT ENDS TOMORROW, BUSY WEEK AHEAD FOR POPE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 9, 2001 (VIS) - The retreat for Pope John Paul and the Roman Curia, which began last Sunday evening with retreat master, Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, ends tomorrow morning.

The Holy Father, however, faces a full schedule in coming days and weeks, starting with the beatification on Sunday, March 11 of 233 martyrs from the Spanish Civil War. The ceremony will mark the largest number of people to be beatified ever at one time. This will be followed by the traditional Angelus prayer. As of Sunday, Pope John Paul will have canonized 447 people and beatified 1,227. Of this total of 1,674, over a quarter - 473 people (463 blesseds and 10 saints) - are related to the Spanish civil war.

On Monday, the Holy Father will welcome in an audience the pilgrims who came to Rome to attend the papal Mass and beatification ceremony. He is also scheduled that day to commence "ad limina" visits with the prelates of the Conference of Latin Bishops of Arab Regions (CELRA). The plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications also starts on Monday: the Pope will receive the members one day during their six-day meeting.

On Tuesday, March 13, the Pope will preside at a consistory for several causes of canonization. Wednesday the 14th he will hold his weekly general audience - suspended this week due to the spiritual exercises. At 9 a.m. on Friday, the Pope will attend the traditional Friday morning Lenten sermon, given by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household, in the "Mater Redemptoris" Chapel. Later that day he is scheduled to receive Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi.

Monday, March 19, solemnity of St. Joseph and a holiday in the Vatican, the Pope will confer episcopal ordination on a number of priests and is also set to start receiving the bishops of Korea on their "ad limina" visit.

JPII-SCHEDULE;...;...;...;VIS;20010309;Word: 380