Pope Francis proclaims his first saints
- 11 years ago
(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Pope Francis Sunday proclaimed as saints some 800 Italians killed by Ottoman Turks in the 15th century when they refused to convert to Islam and said many Christians around the world were still being persecuted for their faith.
At his first canonisation ceremony since his election on March 13, Francis also proclaimed Colombia's first saint - a nun who died in 1949, and a Mexican nun who died in 1963.
The canonisations were decided by Francis's predecessor, Benedict, in a decree signed on February 11, at the same meeting with cardinals where he announced his resignation.
The 800 Italians, known as Antonio Primaldo and his Companions, were killed in 1480 in the siege of Otranto, on the southeastern corner of the Italian peninsula on the Adriatic Sea by Ottoman Turks who sacked the city and killed its archbishop.
The citizens were ordered to surrender and convert to Islam. When they refused, the Ottoman commanding offi
Pope Francis Sunday proclaimed as saints some 800 Italians killed by Ottoman Turks in the 15th century when they refused to convert to Islam and said many Christians around the world were still being persecuted for their faith.
At his first canonisation ceremony since his election on March 13, Francis also proclaimed Colombia's first saint - a nun who died in 1949, and a Mexican nun who died in 1963.
The canonisations were decided by Francis's predecessor, Benedict, in a decree signed on February 11, at the same meeting with cardinals where he announced his resignation.
The 800 Italians, known as Antonio Primaldo and his Companions, were killed in 1480 in the siege of Otranto, on the southeastern corner of the Italian peninsula on the Adriatic Sea by Ottoman Turks who sacked the city and killed its archbishop.
The citizens were ordered to surrender and convert to Islam. When they refused, the Ottoman commanding offi