By Edoardo Giribaldi
Pope Leo XIV has authorised the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to promulgate decrees recognising the martyrdom of 20 diocesan priests from the Spanish islands of Ibiza and Formentera, who were killed in hatred of the faith during the Spanish Civil War. Their recognition clears the way for their beatification.
The Pope gave his approval during an audience on Jun 18 with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
The Holy Father also recognized the heroic virtues of five Servants of God, who are now declared Venerable: Mother Clara Andreu y Malferit, a 17th-century religious from Mallorca; Father Júlio Emílio Alberto De Lombaerde, a Belgian missionary and founder of several religious congregations; Sister Maria Petra Giordano, a Dominican nun from Italy; Mother Maria Teresa Tallon, founder of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate in the United States; and Mother Maria Agnese Tribbioli, founder of the Pious Workers of Saint Joseph.
Martyrs of Ibiza and Formentera
The 20 priests, led by Juan Torres Torres, were killed between August and September 1936 amid the anti-religious persecution that accompanied the Spanish Civil War. At the time, they represented nearly half of the local clergy on Ibiza, where increasing restrictions on religious worship had already forced the diocese to suspend public processions for security reasons.
The persecution intensified through acts of violence and desecration and sought to eradicate the Catholic identity of the islands. Juan Torres Torres, the youngest among the group, was remembered for his humility and generosity. The memory of the martyrs has remained alive within the local Church for decades.
Mother Clara Andreu y Malferit
Born in Mallorca in 1596, Mother Clara Andreu y Malferit entered the Monastery of Saint Bartholomew in Inca at a young age and spent her life in prayer and service. Known for profound mystical experiences, she responded with exemplary obedience and humility when Church authorities examined them. Her reputation for holiness endures, and the monastery remains a place of pilgrimage.
Sister Maria Petra Giordano
Born in Naples in 1912 and later raised in Rome, Sister Maria Petra Giordano discerned her vocation at the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva before entering the Dominican Monastery of Santa Maria del Sasso in Tuscany. Appointed novice mistress at a young age and later elected prioress, she dedicated her life to Gospel living and the formation of religious sisters. Having died in 2006, her cause benefits from numerous eyewitness testimonies.
Mother Maria Teresa Tallon
Born in New York State in 1867 to Irish immigrant parents, Mother Maria Teresa Tallon felt called to consecrate her life to God from an early age. After joining the Sisters of the Holy Cross, she served as a teacher and cared for the sick, even contracting diphtheria while assisting patients during an epidemic in San Francisco.
In 1908, while serving in Manhattan, she founded the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, envisioning a community of women dedicated to bringing Christ’s presence into homes and neighbourhoods. Her life remained centred on God and on the education and care of those most in need.
Father Júlio Emílio Alberto De Lombaerde
Born in Belgium in 1878, Father Júlio Emílio Alberto De Lombaerde, a member of the Missionaries of the Holy Family, devoted his life to missionary work and founded three religious congregations. After receiving missionary formation with the Missionaries of Our Lady of Africa, he was sent to Brazil in 1912, where he dedicated himself to pastoral ministry, education, and catechesis, particularly in remote regions of the Amazon.
He became a Brazilian citizen in 1941 and often expressed his deep affection for the country he had made his home. He died in a car accident on Christmas Eve, 1944. His life was marked by apostolic zeal, perseverance in prayer, and unwavering trust in God.
Mother Maria Agnese Tribbioli
Born in Florence in 1879, Mother Maria Agnese Tribbioli overcame a difficult childhood before embracing religious life. She later founded the Congregation of the Pious Workers of Saint Joseph in the Diocese of Imola.
During the Second World War, she promoted numerous charitable initiatives, including sheltering a group of Jews despite the dangers involved. For her courageous witness, she was later recognised as Righteous Among the Nations. Inspired by the simplicity and poverty of Saint Francis of Assisi, she dedicated her life to serving those in need and died in 1965 at the age of 85. – Vatican News
