Pope Leo XIV authorizes beatification of 20 Spanish priests martyred in 1936
On October 17, 2026, Pope Leo XIV authorized the beatification of 20 diocesan priests from Ibiza and Formentera, Spain, who were killed during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The ceremony was held at the Cathedral of the Virgin of the Snows in Ibiza and presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro. According to the report, these men represented nearly half of the local clergy, as the diocese had only 53 priests at the time. The violence occurred after Republican forces took control of the islands, leading to a systematic eradication of Catholic life. Their liturgical memorial will be observed on November 6.