The Massabki Brothers Explained

The Blessed Massabki Brothers
Birth Name:Fransīs Masābkī
'Abd-al-Mu'tī Masābkī
Rūfayīl Masābkī
Birth Place:Damascus, Syria
Death Date:10 July 1860
Death Place:Damasus, Syria
Titles:Laymen; Martyrs
Venerated In:Maronite Church
Roman Catholic Church
Feast Day:10 July
Attributes:Palm branch
Beatified Date:10 October 1926
Beatified Place:Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome, Kingdom of Italy
Beatified By:Pope Pius XI

The Massabki Brothers (Arabic: الأخوة المسابكيين), Abdel Moati Massabki, Francis Massabki and Raphael Massabki[1] are three Maronite saints from Damascus. The three brothers were sons of Nehme Massabki.

On 10 July 1860, the brothers were killed because of their religion while praying inside a Franciscan church in Damascus, during the 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus.

Beatification and canonization processes

Pope Pius XI proclaimed the beatification of the three brothers in 1926.[2] [3] [4] [5]

On 18 December 2022, the Maronite patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi announced that the Massabki Brothers would be recognized as saints without the need for a miracle because they were martyrs of the faith.[6]

On July 1st 2024, Pope Francis presided at an Ordinary Consistory of Cardinals, which approved the canonization of 15 people, including The Massabki Brothers. In the Apostolic Palace for an Ordinary Public Consistory, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro presented 'Peroratio', a report on the lives and miracles of The Massabki Brothers, among others.[7]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.maronitehistory.org/The_Massabki_brothers The Massabki brothers
  2. http://www.genealogy.com/users/m/a/s/Charles-E-Massabki/FILE/0004page.html The Three Massabki Brother Martyrs at Damascus
  3. http://www.maronitearcheparchy.org.cy/cgibin/hweb?-A=5112&-V=maricons The Maronite Archeparchy of Cyprus – BLESSED MASSABKI, Martyrs of Damascus (d. 1860 A.D.)
  4. http://www.opuslibani.org.lb/egliseeng/002/massabki.htm The three Massabki Maronite Brothers
  5. http://www.peregabriel.com/aveomaria/article.php?id=5822 الإخوة الشهداء الطوباويّون فرنسيس وعبد المعطي ورفائيل مسابكي – بكركي
  6. Web site: The Three Blessed Massabki Brothers to be named saints . 2022-12-18 . LBCI Lebanon . 18 December 2022 . en.
  7. Web site: 2024-07-01 . Carlo Acutis and 14 Blesseds approved for canonization - Vatican News . 2024-07-01 . www.vaticannews.va . en.