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| A monument to the Martyrs of Natal. Photo: Carla Salgueiro/ Wikimedia Commons |
Pope Francis has canonised 30
Portuguese martyrs who were killed during the Dutch colonial occupation of
Brazil in the 17th century.
Portuguese Catholics were ordered to convert to Protestantism when the Dutch seized their territories in northern Brazil. A
73-year-old priest and 69 of his followers who refused were massacred during a
mass at Natal in June 1645. Another slaughter of dozens of worshippers followed
in November.
Pope John Paul II beatified the Martyrs of Natal, the penultimate
step on the route to sainthood, in 2000. The group of 30 saints comprises all
the victims whose names are known.
October 3 is an official holiday in the
northern region of Rio Grande del Norte, in commemoration of the martyrs’
plight.
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