AMERICA/ARGENTINA – The martyrs of Zenta beatified: two missionaries who dedicated their lives to transmitting the faith and defending the indigenous people

AMERICA/ARGENTINA: The martyrs of Zenta were two missionaries who dedicated themselves to the transmission of the faith and the defense of the indigenous people.

Nueva Oran (Agenzia Fides) – “Yesterday, in San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina, Pedro Ortiz de Zárate, a diocesan priest, and Govanni Antonio Solinas, a priest of the Society of Jesus, were beatified – the Holy Father Francis recalled at the end of the Angelus on Sunday, July 3 -. These two missionaries, who lived their lives spreading the Gospel message of peace and the faith, were assassinated on July 3, 1683. These martyrs’ example will inspire us to live the Good News without compromise and to give our all to the poorest. We give thanks to the new blessings.”.
On Saturday, July 2, in the Family Park of the city of San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, the Eucharistic Celebration of the Beatification of the two martyrs took place (see Fides, 15/10/2021; 3/1/2022; 1/7/2022), presided over by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro. Numerous Bishops consecrated alongside him, including Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli; Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Miroslaw Adamczyke is Apostolic Nuncio; Mrgr. Oscar Vicente Ojea is President of the Argentine bishops’ conference; Msgr. Luis Antonio Scozzina (Bishop of Nueva Oran) Numerous faithful, including religious men and women, were also present. There were also representatives of the Jesuits as well as of Italy. “Recalling the martyrdom of the blessed martyrs Pedro Ortiz de Zárate and Juan Antonio Solinas: we celebrate the blossoming, the springtime of the Church”, underlined Cardinal Semeraro in his homily, citing the expressions of the Fathers of the Church on the meaning of martyrdom in the light of faith, which is therefore considered the “seed” of new Christians.
“The martyrdoms our two Blesseds is well-known to me: both were ministers for the first evangelization,” the Cardinal said, recalling Blessed Pedro, an Argentinean native, “who was a man of all times, that’s, a witness of Christ throughout many states of his life”. Witnesses described him as “a good politician and father, but also a good priest, who was able to defend the Indians and baptize them. Blessed Giovanni Antonio was an Italian Jesuit and arrived in mission lands immediately after his priestly ordination. His generous devotion to the spiritual and material needs for the Indians as well as his pastoral care for the Spaniards who lived in those lands were highlighted in the testimonies. “It was their missionary impulse that brought them together. They put themselves at the service and sacrificed their lives for the Gospel, even to the point of death,” the Cardinal emphasized. The Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints focused then on the connection between martyrdom and the Eucharist. “It’s from the Eucharist, actually, that the strength is born to be Christians, continue being Christians, live as Christians,” he stated. If today there is a weak and fluid Christianity, and also a situation in which there is shame in showing oneself as a Christian, and also, paradoxically the opposite, where there is calculation and interest in declaring oneself as such, if for many faith is reduced to a “thing” that is easily lost, the reason is far from the Eucharist”. Friday, July 1, Monsignor Marcelo Colombo was the Archbishop of Mendoza. He also served as Vice President of Argentine Episcopate. The Vigil Mass was celebrated on the way to Zenta’s beatification. “In order to serve the aboriginal brothers in a genuine evangelical way, with a meekness like the good shepherd and without violence that obscured the truth they witnessed, they were joined with the crown of martyrdom to be united forever with Christ”, he said in his homily. He pointed out how these two apostles tried making Christ and his Church know to all who didn’t know him, to make them part “of that new family”. To invite in the name of Christ was undoubtedly the intention that permeated the mission of Fathers Ortiz de Zárate and Solinas in their missionary option”. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 4/7/2022)

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