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View Full Version : Pope Francis canonizes hundreds of martyrs beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam




FrankRep
05-12-2013, 08:43 AM
Pope Francis gives church hundreds of new saints (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130512/DA67NCHO2.html)


Associated Press
May 12, 2013


Pope Francis on Sunday gave the Catholic church new saints, including hundreds of 15th-century martyrs who were beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam, as he led his first canonization ceremony Sunday in a packed St. Peter's Square.

The "Martyrs of Otranto" were 813 Italians who were slain in the southern Italian city in 1480 for defying demands by Turkish invaders who overran the citadel to renounce Christianity.

Their approval for sainthood was decided upon by Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, in a decree read at the ceremony in February where the former pontiff announced his retirement.

Shortly after his election in March, Francis called for more dialogue with Islam, and it was unclear how the granting of sainthood to the martyrs would be received. Islam is a sensitive subject for the church, and Benedict stumbled significantly in his relations with Muslims.
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Full Story:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130512/DA67NCHO2.html

Smart3
05-12-2013, 09:17 AM
What was saintly about their actions? They could have converted to Islam and then renounced it the moment the King of Naples retook the city. They could have even prayed to Jesus while in the Masjid.