Fra Manuel Ruiz López was an inspiration to the community in Damascus, and his martyrdom continues to inspire Christians in the region today.
In 2024, Pope Francis canonized the "Martyrs of Damascus," a group of three laymen and eight religious who were martyred in the middle of the 19th century.
The religious were Spanish Franciscans who had a convent in Damascus and were led by Fra Manuel Ruiz López.
Besides being targeted for their Christian faith, these Franciscans were prime examples of holiness for the local community and were well known for their sanctity.
"Father Patience"
According to the Custody of the Holy Land website, Father Ruiz López was particularly revered. "The Arabs called him familiarly 'Father Patience' and this reflects how he was able to be very close to the people: what is impressive is how he gave himself every day and entirely to the mission that had been assigned to him.”
To receive such a nickname highlights the holiness of Fra Ruiz López and how he lived the Gospel message in his everyday life.
Unfortunately, at the time there was an increase in tensions in the region and Druze militias began to set Christian towns on fire. The met no resistance, and so they continued to slaughter thousands of Christians.
When Fra Ruiz López heard of the threat, he gathered his community into the chapel and distributed Holy Communion to each of them.
Eventually the militia was able to break into the convent through a hidden door, and when Fra Ruiz López heard the men coming in, he "immediately ran to the tabernacle to remove the Eucharist and consume it, so as not to expose it to profanation, and he was thus killed at the foot of the altar."
The heroic witness of these Franciscan friars, as well as the three Maronite laymen, continues to inspire many in a region that is constantly the target of violence.
