by Rev. M. B. Cothonay, O.P., 1911
The Vicar Apostolic of
Eastern Tonkin, Msgr. Hilary of Jesus of the Order of St. Augustine, wrote immediately
after the martyrdom of Blessed Gil to the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda
communicating all the information that he could gather concerning the life and
glorious death of Ven. Father Gil de Federich. He published in Rome, Italy,
during the following year, an account of the life and martyrdom of these two
missionaries of his Vicariate which was widely diffused throughout the Eternal
City and from there to the entire Christian world.
When Pope Benedict XIV was
informed of the victory of the two sons of St. Dominic over Tonkin paganism, he
rejoiced exceedingly and gave public expression of his joy in full consistory
in presence of the cardinals by delivering a magnificent eulogy of the two
martyrs. He gave orders that a solemn thanksgiving should be offered to
Almighty God in Rome and throughout the entire Church, and he invited in a
special manner the Order of St. Dominic to rejoice and to bless God for this
new glory added to its illustrious record.
The Master General of the
Order at that time was the Very Rev. Father Ripoll who, when he was Provincial
of Arragon, had refused to grant Father Gil permission to go to the
Philippines, but who, on becoming head of the Order a little later, had given
his consent. Great was his joy when he learned that one of his fellow
countrymen, his spiritual son, had carried off the crown of martyrdom. About the
23rd of November, 1745, he had the good news communicated to the
whole Order and invited all the convents to thank God for this signal favor, at
the same time expressing the hope that these two recent martyrs would one day
be placed upon the altar.
The tidings of the
martyrdom of Blessed Gil did not reach Manilla until the 1st of
March, 1746, fifteen months after the event. The joy that its announcement
brought to his religious brethren was so great that for three whole days the
bells of their church pealed forth the joyful news to the people of Manila and
were answered by those of the Franciscans. The two Orders, as is well known,
have always shared their joys as well as their sorrows. The people were filled
with enthusiasm and performed their part in this scene of joy. A very solemn service
was celebrated in the Dominican church to which all the civil and military
dignitaries of the colony came of their own accord, together with all the
religious orders, all the confraternities and an immense concourse of people
not only from Manila but from all the surrounding country. The ceremonies opened
with a Te Deum sung in a most affecting
manner by thousands of voices, a musical Mass accompanied by a full orchestra
and finally, a procession greater in numbers than any ever seen there, during
which the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary was carried in triumph.
The Chapter of the
Dominicans of Manila of 1746 announced to the whole province the glorious news
of the martyrdom of two of its sons in terms almost lyrical. It reads like a
song of triumph. The chapter of 1751 earnestly requested the Very Rev. Master
General to be kind enough to take the necessary measures to have the cause of
these two illustrious sons of St. Dominic introduced at Rome. In 1766 the Very
Rev. Father Boxadors, then Master General, announced to the Province of the
Holy Rosary that this cause in which he was so intensely interested was then
very far advanced. The Rev. Paul D. Nghien, an Annamite priest, had been sent
to Rome with all the documents which it was possible to collect in order to
hasten the happy event of the beatification. Don Antonio, a brother of Blessed
Gil, published an abridgement of his life and martyrdom requesting all who
possessed writings of information concerning him to kindly send the same to
Father D. Nghien at Rome. The Bishop of Tortosa added his own exhortations and
efforts to the same effect.
In 1769 the Holy Father
directed the Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Tonkin, Msgr. Hernandez, to commence
the apostolic process and finally, on May 16th, 1772, the congregation
of cardinals named for this purpose, declared the apostolic process together
with that of the Ordinary to be valid and this verdict was confirmed seven days
later byClement XIV.
The sad events which
disturbed Rome and the rest of Europe at the close of the 18th century prevented
the conclusion of the cause already so far advanced. Not until 1891, 119 years
later, was it possible to take up the cause again, Pope Leo XIII having
graciously consented to dispense with several of the usual ceremonies. In 1900
he ordained that the cause of Blessed Gil de Federich and of Blessed Liciniana
be joined to that of the Venerable martyrs, Castagneda and Liem, also Friars Preachers,
who were put to death for the faith in Tonkin, in 1773. On the 10th
of December, 1908, Pius X confirmed the decision of the cardinals and declared
that they could in all security proceed with the solemn beatification of the
aforesaid Servants of God together with that of four other Dominican martyrs of
Tonkin – Ven. Jerome Hermosilla, Ven. Valentine
Berrio-Ochoa, Ven. Peter Almato and Ven. Joseph Khang.
Nothing was wanting now
but the proclamation of the Papal Bull fixing the day for the solemn glorification
of the Venerable martyrs. The Holy Father deigned to designate the 20th
of May, 1906, as the never to be forgotten day when in the basilica of St.
Peter splendidly adorned and illuminated for the occasion, their images were
for the first time publicly exposed for the veneration of the cardinals, a great
number of Bishops and a multitude of priests and faithful assembled from all
parts of the world, but especially from Spain.
(St. Francis Gil de
Federich was canonized together with other Vietnamese Martyrs on June 19, 1988,
by Pope John Paul II. His feast day is November 24.)
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