Memorial of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs
Faith conquers the world. The preaching of this faith enlightens like the sun all who wish to attain the knowledge of truth, said the Holy Father Saint John Paul II in the beatification homily of sixteen Japanese martyrs, including the Filipino Lorenzo Ruiz.
On the occasion of the ceremony, the Pope recalled the solemn moment that accompanied the arrival of the news of the deaths of some of them: “the hymn of glory to God which has just been sung by numberless voices is an echo of the Te Deum sung in the Church of Santo Domingo on the evening of December 27, 1637, when the news arrived of the martyrdom at Nagasaki of a group of six Christians. Among them were the head of the mission, Father Antonio González, a Spanish Dominican from León, and Lorenzo Ruiz, a married man with a family, born in Manila "extra muros”: in the suburb of Binondo. These witnesses had also in their turn sung psalms to the Lord of mercy and power, both while they were in prison and during their execution by the gallows and the pit, which lasted three days.”
Lorenzo Ruiz was born around 1600 in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, the son of a Chinese and a Filipina. In his youth, he showed a passion for the liturgy of the Church, which was manifested in the fact that he worked as a sacristan for the Dominican fathers and served at the Mass. He was also associated with the order as a member of the Rosary Confraternity. There he learned the Spanish language because the monks were missionaries who came from the Iberian Peninsula. Then the future Saint got married and had three children. His life was devoutly, happily and - simply.
Everything changed in 1636 when he was suddenly unjustly accused of murder. Wanted by an arrest warrant, he took refuge with the Dominican fathers, and they - knowing about his innocence - decided to facilitate his escape from the country, taking him on a journey to Japan. The ship reached the island of Okinawa, from where the fugitive was supposed to go to Taiwan and find shelter there until the matter was resolved. It happened otherwise - he stayed in Okinawa with missionaries and it turned out to be decisive for his life.
If Lorenzo had come to Japan twenty years earlier - he would have probably received the duties of a catechist from fathers and he would have been able to calmly return to his homeland - because when Catholic missionaries reached Japan in the 16th century, their cooperation with the local people was extremely fruitful, and the government did not interfere with carrying out the apostolate. Everything changed in 1614 during the reign of the shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, who initiated bloody persecution of Christians, demanding that they renounce their faith. Those who insisted on faithfulness to Christ and the Church were, as usual in such cases, tortured and murdered.
In such circumstances, Saint Lawrence found himself on a Japanese island. All newcomers were soon arrested and tortured in 1637. At first, the six who died first were tortured. They were ordered to drink an enormous amount of water, then long boards were placed on top of which the prison guards walked; then it came to hammering the bamboo splinters under the fingernails.
Saint John Paul II beautifully describes the last moments of the Filipino Martyr, pointing to his example of offering himself to God: This is what Lorenzo Ruiz did. Guided by the Holy Spirit to an unexpected goal after an adventurous journey, he told the court that he was a Christian, and must die for God, and wοuld give his life for him a thousand times. (Had I many thousands of lives I would offer them all for him. Never shall I apostatize. You may kill me if that is what you want. To die for God—such is my will – said Saint Lorenzo). Here we have him summed up; here we have a description of his faith and the reason fοr his death. It was at this moment that this young father of a family professed and brought to completion the Christian catechesis that he had received in the Dominican Friars' school in Binondo: a catechesis that cannot be other than Christ-centered, by reason both of the mystery it contains and the fact that it is Christ who teaches through the lips of his messenger”.
The remaining few missionaries were hanged by their feet, their hands shackled in stocks loaded with stones, and the bodies were tied with ropes to obstruct the flow of blood. Those who were still alive after three days were dragged to the Holy Mountain in Nagasaki and beheaded. Then the bodies of all were burned and scattered without honor.
Among the martyrs - in 1633 and 1637 in total - were lay people and clergy, including, in addition to Lorenzo Ruiz, nine Japanese, four Spaniards, one French and one Italian. Saint John Paul II beatified them in 1981, and six years later included them among the saints. Saint Lorenzo became the patron saint of the Philippines.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george