Priest in Phl nears sainthood

MANILA, Philippines - A Spanish priest who served in the Philippines is set to follow in the footsteps of Filipino saints Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod. 

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday said that Franciscan Capuchin Father Jose Maria de Manila is one step closer to canonization. 

Fr. Jose was among the 500 Spanish martyrs who died in the religious persecution in the 1930s and all of them are awaiting beatification.

Included in this group were 32 Capuchins composed of 20 priests and 12 lay religious brothers, said Fr. Eugenio Lopez, provincial minister of the Capuchin Philippine Province.

On July 20, 1936, due to the savage acts perpetuated by anarchist and Marxist troops against the Christian religion and its ministers, several religious, including Fr. Jose, were forced to abandon their convents in Madrid. 

Fr. Jose was executed on Aug. 17, 1936 at the gardens of the Cuartel de la Montaña, a military building in Madrid.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, will lead the beatification ceremony in Tarragona, Spain on Oct. 13 where Fr. Jose will be known as the “Blessed Jose Maria de Manila.” 

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Spain said Pope Francis might address via satellite from Rome those gathered for the ceremony. 

Fr. Jose is ‘natural de Manila’

The martyr was born Eugenio Saz-Orozco but he took on the name Fr. Jose Maria de Manila when he joined the religious order. 

The missionary was born in Manila of Spanish parents on Sept. 5, 1880. He was the son of Eugenio Saz-Orozco, the last Spanish mayor of Manila, and Feliza Mortera y Camacho. 

Fr. Jose’s birth certificate could not be produced because it was burned during the Liberation of Manila, Lopez said.

“But his school records from the University of Santo Tomas showed he is ‘natural de Manila.’ All his biographies from Spain also showed he was born in Manila.”

He spent his initial years of education at the Ateneo de Manila University, San Juan de Letran and then UST. He stayed in the Philippines until he was 16 years old, after which he pursued further studies in Spain, as was customary then.  Despite the objections of his parents, Fr. Jose fulfilled his desire to become a Capuchin priest, Lopez said. 

Records show that he had his simple profession in Lecaroz (Navarra, Spain) on Oct. 4, 1905, his solemn profession on Oct. 18, 1908 and his ordination on Nov. 30, 1910.