Pope beatifies record number for sainthood
Pope John Paul II appealed for the end of terrorism in Spain as he beatified a record number of candidates for sainthood.
He beatified 233 nuns, priests and lay people who died in Spain's civil war in the 20th century.
Today's ceremony beat the 1877 beatification of 206 Japanese martyrs by Pope Pius IX. Beatification is the last step before possible sainthood, or canonisation.
The Spaniards beatified today, the latest of hundreds who died at the hands of leftists waging anti-clerical campaigns during the civil war, were declared martyrs by the Pope.
Beatification usually requires the Vatican's certification of a miracle credited to the intercession of the person, but in the case of martyrdom that requirement is waived.
Strong applause rang out when the Pope, reading his homily in Spanish, invoked the names of the newly beatified in a plea for an end to terrorism by Basque separatists.
"Terrorism is born of hatred and, in turn, feeds it. It is radically unjust and increases the situations of injustice, gravely offends God and the dignity and rights of persons. With terror, man always comes out the loser," the Pope told the 30,000 strong crowd in St Peter's Square, Rome.
"No motive, no cause or ideology can justify it," he said. "Only peace can build peoples. Terror is the enemy of humanity."
Since a ceasefire ended a little more than a year ago, 22 killings have been blamed on ETA separatists who want to carve out a Basque homeland in the land straddling France and Spain. Since their struggle began in 1968, ETA has claimed some 800 killings.
Almost all of those beatified today died in 1936 in the province of Valencia at the hands of leftist forces battling General Francisco Franco. A few others were from Catalonia.
