Martyrs of Prague

Blessed Martyrs of PragueO.F.M.
Martyrs,priestsand religious
Born	Between 1541 and 1603 Various
Died	15 February 1611 Prague,Kingdom of Bohemia
Beatified	13 October 2012,St. Vitus Cathedral,Prague, Czech Republic, by CardinalAngelo Amato,S.D.B.
Feast	15 February
Attributes	Franciscan habit Palm branch

Frederick Bachstein and his thirteen companions (born between 1541 and 1603 – died 15 February 1611) were a collective group of members, bothpriestsandlay brothers,of theOrder of Friars Minor,who were murdered by a group ofProtestantsin the early 17th century.

Four of the men wereCzechwhile there was oneSpaniard,oneFrenchman,fourItalians,threeGermans,and oneDutchman.Three wereseminariansin the Order, while another three werenovices,while the rest were allpriests.The Franciscan friars had settled inPraguein 1604 and set out to administer thesacramentsas well as to tend to the ill and poor of the city. They became known for their preaching, despite consistent threats leveled against them from members of theProtestantpopulation. The fourteen were slain afterEmperor Rudolf IIinvaded the city; they were taken by surprise in a sudden attack on theirfriaryat theChurch of Our Lady of the Snowsof the city and were all slain at the hands of aLutheranmob.

The cause for theircanonizationwas launched in the 1930s, but it was suspended until the process was resumed in 1992.Pope Benedict XVIconfirmed theirbeatification,which was celebrated in Prague on 13 October 2012.

Life

Background

The Franciscans are killed in Prague.

The fourteen Friars Minor were killed in the religious and political context of a struggle between the Catholic forces of theHoly Roman Emperor Rudolf IIand thereformed states of Bohemia.They had settled inPraguein 1604 at the ruinedfriaryof theChurch of Our Lady of the Snowsin the city, which had been built by theCarmelite friarsin the 15th century.

The Friars Minor were noted in Prague for their consistent preaching and administering thesacramentsto people. The friars also undertook charitable apostolates that saw them visit the sick and help thepoor,despite the hostile environment where most people belonged to Protestant churches. The example of the friars encouragedlapsed Catholicsto return to their faith, and even some Protestants toconvertto the Catholic faith. This createdanti-Catholic sentimentin theLutheran communitieswho felt that the Franciscan friars hadforcedthese conversions and should not be welcome in Prague.This led to the friars being insulted and receiving threats while out on the streets tending to the poor.

Tensions came to a head on 15 February 1611 after armed forces under the command of Emperor Rudolf invaded Prague to consolidatehis empire.The fear in people, and in particular among the Lutherans, saw the city explode into crisis. Radicals began to attack Catholics, which led to a crowd of almost two thousand men breaking into the Franciscan friary, under the mistaken assumption that some Catholic soldiers were at the friary since the Franciscans would provide shelter and protect them.TheDutchfriar Cristoffel Zelt was the first slain as he carriedfirewoodto theoven.TheGermanclericKlemens was the next killed when he was struck with anaxebefore theFrenchpriest Simon was stabbed to death in his sickbed. The next to be killed was theMilanesefriar Girolamo dei Conti Arese as he was before the image of theMother of God.Both theItalianpriest Bartolomeo Dalmasoni and religious Giovanni Bodeo were killed as the people hurled insults and blasphemies at them. The mob proceeded to kill theSpanishpriest Juan Martínez in his attempt to protect theEucharistandhad his arm cut offin the melee before hisskullwas smashed. TheCzechvicarBedřich Bachstein was the next one killed as he hid in thebell towerwith thenovicesJan and Antonín alongside thekitchen assistantEmanuel. The mob located them and beat them before hurling their bodies down from the tower to the ground below. The ItaliansubdeaconGaspare Daverio was located near the bell tower and torn to pieces before his remains were thrown out of the window before the German duo Jan Didak and Jakob were likewise slain.The attack lasted no longer than three hours but left the fourteen friars dead and their convent and church in ruins.

The friars died onShrove Tuesdayand their remains were dumped near the friary, but then provideda Christian burialwithin the week on 19 February 1611. Their remains were later re-interred in the church's side chapel in 1616 at the behest of theArchbishop of PragueJan Lohelius.Their bodies wereexhumedand seen to havedecomposedto a slight degree. Their remains were exhumed once more in 2012 to be subject to scientific examination.

Fourteen of the attackers were sentenced at acourtin Prague in April 1611 and were allexecutedfor the murder of the fourteen Franciscans.

Individual list

Bedřich Bachstein

Bachstein was born circa 1561 inPenáatJindřichův Hradec.He served as theNovice Masterfor the friars and also served as the vicar for the convent. Bachstein was killed with aspearblow to theheartas he hid in the bell tower with two of the novices and the kitchen assistant. His remains were hurled out of the tower to the ground below alongside those of the ones slain with him.

Juan Martínez

Martínez was born inSpaincirca 1571 and served as both thesacristanand theconfessorfor those who were Spanish and living in Prague. He attempted to hide the Eucharist during the riot and lost his right hand and then his head to the mob. His skull was smashed in before his head was cut off.Martínez was attempting to protect aciboriumwhen his right hand was severed and he was stabbed in the back as his head was smashed. The assailants then trampled over the sacred hosts.

Simon

Simon was born circa 1581 inFranceand was tasked to collectalmsin Prague. He became ill in 1611 and during the riot was bedridden in his cell when the crowds located him. Simon's skull was smashed in and he was stabbed to death in the stomach.

Bartolomeo Dalmasoni

Dalmasoni was born atPonte San PietroinBergamoand was in charge of the reconstruction efforts for the church and its attached convent. The crowds located him in the basement where he was hidden and attacked him to death with swords.

Girolamo dei Conti Arese

Arese was born circa 1597 inMilanand was adeaconat the time of his death. The rioters ambushed him and stabbed him to death with a sword as he knelt in meditation before thealtarof the Mother of God.

Gaspare Daverio

Daverio was born in Bosto inVareseon 27 April 1584 and was a subdeacon at the time of his death. The assailants killed him after he was thrown off the roof of the church.

Jakob

Jakob was born circa 1590 inAugsburgand had made hisinitial profession.He was killed after he was thrown off the roof of the church.

Klemens

Klemens was born circa 1590 in theElectorate of Saxonyand had made his initial profession at the time of his death. He was slain after his head was cut in two with an axe.

Christoffel Zelt

Zelt was born circa 1541 in theNetherlandsand was acookat the convent. He was the first to be killed in the riot after his head was smashed in with an iron club.

Jan Didak

Didak was born circa 1576 inGermany.He was thrown off the bell tower to his death.

Giovanni Bodeo

Bodeo was born circa 1581 in Mompiano inBresciaand served as thegardenerat the convent and as the assistant to the sacristan. He took refuge in the basement while the riot took place but was found and killed with swords after his assailantsscourgedhim.

Emmanuel

Emmanuel was born circa 1581 in theKingdom of Bohemia(now theCzech Republic) and worked as a cook at the convent. The rioters smashed his head against the wall when he was found at the bell tower in hiding before throwing his remains down to the ground from the roof of the church.

Jan

Jan was born circa 1603 in the Kingdom of Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and was a novice cleric at the time of his death. He was killed when he was struck with an iron club.

Antonín

Antonín was born sometime between 1601 and 1603 in the Kingdom of Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and was a novice at the time of his death. He was killed when he was stabbed to death with a sword.

Beatification

The beatification process for the fourteen slain Franciscans was opened in Prague in an investigative process that was launched on 11 May 1933. The process concluded on 24 November 1944 and had completed its goal to assess the lives and holiness of the fourteen Franciscans and to assess the circumstances that led to their deaths. But the cause was submitted to authorities at theCongregation for RitesinRomeand languished until a decree was issued on 25 February 1992 to resume the cause. ThePrague archdioceselaunched another diocesan investigation and submitted their findings to theCongregation for the Causes of Saintswho issued their "nihil obstat"(no objections) decree on 14 April 1994. The C.C.S. officials validated the processes on 20 April 1994 after having determined that the diocesan investigations complied with their regulations.

The postulation (officials in charge of the cause) submitted the official "Positio"dossier to the C.C.S. in 2003. Historians discussed and approved the cause on 16 December 2003 after issuing their satisfaction at assessing and resolving the historical circumstances that surrounded their deaths. The nine theological consultants also provided their approval on 5 March 2011 before the cardinal and bishop members of the C.C.S. issued their final approval on 10 January 2012.

Pope Benedict XVIsigned a decree on 10 May 2012 that the fourteen Franciscans had died "in odium fidei" (in hatred of the faith) and could be beatified. CardinalAngelo Amatopresided at the beatification ceremony in Prague on the pope's behalf on 13 October 2012.Some 6,000 people attended,including 250 priests and around 300 monastic brothers and sisters. The Cardinal Archbishop of PragueDominik Dukawas one of four cardinals present.Benedict XVI mentioned the beatification in hisAngelusaddress on 14 October and said that "they remind us that believing in Christ also means being willing to suffer with Him and for Him".

The current postulator for this cause is the Franciscan friar Giovangiuseppe Califano.

External links

• Hagiography Circle
• Catholic Saints
• Congregation for the Causes of Saints
• Santi e Beati