Posted on 05/02/2013 7:55:12 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Otranto Cathedral was consecrated in 1088. In August 1480, clergy and survivors of the Ottoman siege of Otranto took refuge in the cathedral the Ottoman force eventually broke in and killed those inside, turning the church into a stable or a mosque and destroying its 13th century frescoes. After Otranto was retaken in 1481 by a force under Alfonso V of Aragon it was turned back into a church and heavily rebuilt to house the relics of the Martyrs of Otranto, who had been executed after the 1480 siege. Behind the chapels altar is the stone of martyrdom, traditionally held to be that used to behead the martyrs. On August 12, 1480, 800 citizens were taken to the hill of Minerva, now called the Hill of the Martyrs, and beheaded because they refused to renounce their Catholic faith. Their remains were taken to the cathedral and the skulls preserved in the altar piece as a prominent reminder of these 800 martyrs.
Pope Francis is set to canonize 800 Christians who refused to denounce their faith and were slaughtered by Muslims in Otranto, Italy.
The Catholic Herald reported, via Jihad Watch:
Pope Francis is preparing to canonise an estimated 800 Italian laymen killed by Ottoman soldiers in the 15th century. The canonisation service will be on May 12 in St Peters Square and it will be the first carried out by the Pontiff since he was elected in early March.
The killing of the martyrs by Ottoman troops, who launched a weeks-long siege of Otranto, a small port town at the most eastern tip of southern Italy, took place in 1480.
When Otranto residents refused to surrender to the Ottoman army, the soldiers were ordered to massacre all males over the age of 15.....
(Excerpt) Read more at thegatewaypundit.com ...
Islam hasn’t changed. Too bad we can’t say the same for Christianity.
oooooooo, odumbo isn’t gonna like that....
Offended muslims to scream oppression in 5 4 3 2....
This decision of Pope Francis to canonize 800 Christians who died as martyrs to Islamic attack is sending a message to the Muslims what TRUE MARTYRDOM is and it is NOT putting on a bomb vest, hijacking an airplane or making bombs out of pressure cookers, PERIOD.
GEEZ! He just crapped all over somebody’s birthday cake.
This decision is preaching the Gospel of Jesus by action and exposing the sins of Islamofacism just as Pope Benedict put it in words a couple of years ago.
The respect that I have for this man is growing exponentially.
Also sends a mesage to Obama that he cannot live in denial in regards to Muslims and Islam.
For a second there I was wondering when the heck a bunch of Christians were slaughtered in Ontario.
I think this Pope may rattle quite a few before he is called home.Hopefully he will soon take firm steps regarding the clergy who have strayed far from Jesus; teaching.
It is my thought that the watered down church of recent decades is weak and unattractive to people ,not unlike political parties that have abandoned the old standards for inclusiveness.
God bless Pope Frances.
I left Catjholocism when it forgot it’s teachings and will gladly come back when it remembers them.
They’re not Muslims - they are Ottomans - it sez so right in the article. In fact I didn’t read Muslin or Islam at all... /sarc
Expect a personal phone call from the Pope begging you to return at any time now... /sarc
Not looking for one. He is busy enough as it is.
Where did you go that was better?
The Bible. It didn’t change.
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