Pope Francis canonised 14 individuals, including the "martyrs of Damascus," in a ceremony held in Saint Peter's Square on Sunday. These martyrs, killed during the Ottoman Empire in Syria, have long symbolised Christian persecution.
During the canonisation, attended by thousands of Catholic faithful from across the globe, Francis declared, "We enrol them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church."
Canonisation is the final step to sainthood in the Catholic Church, following beatification. It requires three key conditions: the individual must have performed at least two miracles, lived an exemplary Christian life, and been deceased for at least five years.
Among the newly canonised are the "martyrs of Damascus," a group of 11 individuals who were assassinated by Druze militants in July 1860 in Damascus, then under Ottoman rule. The group, made up of eight Franciscan friars and three lay Maronite siblings, were killed in their monastery. They were beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1926.
Damascus, home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, has seen its Christian population decline to about two percent today, according to Vatican sources. The city has been heavily affected by Syria's ongoing civil war, which began in 2011, forcing many residents to flee.
Vatican News noted that the martyrdom of the Damascus group is similar to the challenges faced by many Christians in the Middle East today.
The other three newly canonised saints, who lived in the early 20th century, are Italian missionary Giuseppe Allamano, Italian nun Elena Guerra, and Canadian Marie-Leonie Paradis, all of whom founded religious communities.
In a related announcement, Pope Francis recently revealed plans to canonise Italian teenager Carlos Acutis, known for spreading his faith online and earning the nickname "God's Influencer." He died of leukaemia in 2006. His canonisation is expected to take place in 2025, during the Church's Jubilee Year, which is anticipated to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome.