On January 22, Pope Leo XIV authorized the beatification of Fr. Augusto Rafael Ramírez Monasterio, a Franciscan priest who was killed in Guatemala in 1983.
According to VaticanNews, "The decree recognizes that he was killed in hatred of the faith."
This is an important step in the beatification and canonization process of Fr. Augusto, as it categorizes him as a "martyr," which shortens the process, though it still requires a miracle that came about through his intercession.
Who was Fr. Augusto?
Born in Guatemala City on November 5, 1937, Fr. Augusto entered the Franciscans in 1958 and was ordained a priest on June 18, 1967.
He was known to the people as a holy priest who spent hours in the confessional. His devotion to the sacrament of confession would eventually lead to his death.
According to the National Catholic Register, an individual went to confession to Fr. Augusto and confessed his sin, while also seeking amnesty from the government.
The government was not interested in offering amnesty, but wanted to know what the individual confessed, trying to get Fr. Augusto to reveal it:
Later accounts showed that Friar Augusto had been tortured by his military captors, who stripped and strung him up by his wrists, subjecting him to beatings and burns. Several ribs were broken. But he refused to reveal what Coroy had told him, safeguarding the sacrament of confession.
The Dicastery of Saints explains what happened:
The material martyrdom occurred on the afternoon of November 7, 1983, when he was captured and tortured by some soldiers. While being transported in a special police car to the outskirts of Guatemala City, taking advantage of a red light at the intersection with Avenida Elena, the priest attempted to escape the vehicle by running barefoot, but when the soldiers reached him, he was hit by bullets and killed.
The Dicastery explains, "It is evident in the intention of the government armed forces to target in him a member of the Guatemalan Catholic Church who had openly denounced the strong social injustices in force in the country, working to promote dialogue and collaboration."
He was among the many priests and religious killed in Guatemala in the 1980s, such as US-natives Blessed James Miller and Blessed Stanely Rother.
It is expected that Fr. Augusto will be beatified at an official ceremony in the near future.
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Fr. Augusto joins a long line of priests who have been martyred for refusing to break the seal of confession. Read about some of their stories here.
