A commission appointed by the Bishops’ Conference of Thailand has prepared reliquaries with the relics of the eight martyrs, which will be displayed in all the dioceses of Thailand.
Newsroom (26/01/2025 15:00, Gaudium Press) On January 12, before the Eucharistic Celebration in memory Blessed Nicholas Bunkard Kritbamrung of Thailand: 8 Martyrs, held in Samphran, west of Bangkok, the apostolic nuncio to Thailand, Archbishop Peter Bryan Wells, handed over the relics of the eight martyrs to the newly appointed Archbishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bangkok.
The ceremony followed an event held on December 14, 2024, at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Martyrs of Thailand in Songkhon, where reliquaries were handed over to Archbishop Anthony Weradet Chaiseri of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tharae-Nongseng and its three suffragan dioceses: Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani and Nakhon Ratchasima.
The relics symbolize the unity of these eight martyrs, who lived and died for their faith during a period of persecution in the middle of the 20th century.
In his homily, Archbishop Wells highlighted the courage of the martyrs, stating that “they were baptized into Christ first in water and then in blood”, inviting the faithful to be inspired by their sacrifices and to live their baptismal promises with conviction.
Eight Martyrs of Thailand: Witnesses to Faith and Unity
Last year, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand (CBCT) decided to unify the causes of canonization of Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kritbamrung of Bangkok and the Seven Blessed Martyrs of Songkhon.
This decision highlights their joint witness to faith and the sacrifices during a period of political and social turmoil that took place between 1940 and 1944, when Christianity was classified as a “foreign religion”.
Beato Nicholas Bunkerd Kritbamrung
Blessed Nicholas, a priest in his hometown of Samphran, ministered the sacraments to his flock in the midst of persecution. Sentenced to 15 years in prison, he baptized 66 companions in prison. Despite suffering from tuberculosis (contracted in prison) for nine months, he remained steadfast in his faith, dying in prison in 1944 at the age of 49.
During the same period, in the Catholic village of Songkhon, catechist Philip Siphong and six women, including two nuns, chose martyrdom rather than renounce their faith.
Their sacrifices were recognized by Pope John Paul II, who beatified the seven Songkhon martyrs in 1989 and Blessed Nicholas in 2000.
Canonization Process
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, with the aim of promoting devotion to these martyrs and inspiring Catholics to imitate their unwavering faith, has set up a Canonization Commission led by Archbishop Anthony Weradet Chaiseri of the Archdiocese of Tharae-Nongseng. This commission has prepared reliquaries containing the relics of all eight martyrs, which will be displayed in all the dioceses of Thailand.
Bishop Andrew Vissanu Thanya-anan, president of the Committee for the Promotion of the Cause of Canonization, explained that “it is the people of God who give rise to the ‘fama sanctitatis’, recognizing these martyrs as witnesses to Christ and the Gospel.”
With information from Vatican news
The post “Thailand: 8 Martyrs on the Road to Canonization” appeared first on Gaudium Press.
Compiled by Florence MacDonald
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