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SELFRIDGES SWEETS
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3d.
3d. PERTH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER
NO. 3,001.
4,
1941.
SIXTY-EIGHTH YEAR.
Heroic Death of Spanish Bishop Pitiless insults and Torments CHRISTIAN CHARITY "Pardon my executioners. May God forgive them, as I already have forgiven them." These were the words of the Rt. Rev. Florentino Asensio Barroso, Titular Bishop of Eurea di Epiro and Apostolic Administrator of Barbastro, addressed to his Red executioners before he was shot on July 31, 1936, after seven days of torture. "My Lord, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man," the Bishop had commenced to pray, but a volley ended his prayer and his life and his body dropped into the ditch that had been prepared for it. Barbastro, the noble and ancient city of the Queen of Aragon, was the scene of the very worst type of Communist impiousness. The turrets of its castles and the towers of its centennial churches still stand, but every buildingfrom the smallest shop to the largest warehouse, as well as churches and pubbeen thoroughly lic buildings-had sacked- All that remained in the city were mountains of obscene books and Communist propaganda which the Nationalist troops burned in the streets after their capture of the city. All Priests Arrested. On July 19, 1936, Colonel, later General, Vilialba, entered the city at the head of a group of workers belonging to the C.N.T. and the F.A.I. They took possession of the barracks and the munition stores, and thus armed cowed the citizens into submission. A platoon, accompanied by a howlin'- mob, rushed to the Bishop's resideitr, and, while the mob stoned the 4/se, the platoon arrested the prelate, and, pushing him forward with the butts of their guns, amid insults and blasphemies, took him to the Convent of the Escolapian Fathers, which was converted into a prison. There were 40 Escolapian already imprisoned there, and to this number were added the Benedictines, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Marv. and all the priests of the city. There were several hundred in all. The guards subjected them to pitiless insults and torments. Meanwhile the rest of the mob was busy sacking the churches, particularly the Cathedral, which, they thought, would render a great return. Truckloads of jewelled chalices, vestments, ornaments and ancient tapestries of great value were taken to Barcelona, and by July 26 all the churches were completely despoiled but the famous
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MARTYR
"jovero"-the great treasure that dur-
ing centuries the kings, princes and faithful had given to the Cathedral as votive offerings-was still missing. The fame of the Barbastro treasure was such that the Reds knew that it was well worth finding, and they searched not only the Cathedral, but the entire city, thinking it might be concealed in some private home. When all other efforts were vain, they began excavating under the Ca-
thedral. Day and night they worked with picks and shovels, tearing down walls and tearing up floors. Covetousness drove them on, but when they became weary with so much work and no reward, the Communist mayor, Jose Seco, ordered that the Rightists be brought from the prisons and put to work. They laboured 16 hours daily at the points of pistols. Eventually they came upon an ancient necropolis and were forced to profane its tombs. Dust, ashes, bones-but nothing more. The treasure was not found. Whether it was ever found, or ever will be found, Some say yes, and that is not known. it proved to be worth 80,000,000 pesos. Go Without Water. Death must have been a relief to the aged Bishop. There were days when the prisoners were not even given water. 'On the seventh day the guard told the prelate scornfully: "Prepare yourself for to -night we are going to take you
through this seething mob of drunks and prostitutes, the Bishop was led to the cemetery. They made him stand beside his yawning grave. A disgusting and sacrilegious rite was enacted after the body had fallen into the grave. Before returning to the city to resume their orgy of blood, wine, voluptuousness and pillage, they parodied a religious service for the deadchanting the "Internationale" in imitation of liturgy. Other Prisoners Shin. On successive days other prisoners were killed in like fashion. Of all the priests of the diocese, only five escaped with their lives, But on the walls of the Escopalian Convent, used as their prison, one may read the messages that they left behind: "Let us forgive our enemies," "The blood of Christians is the seed of martyrs," and like inscriptions which reflect the truly Christian
bodies of his victims. They were denied decent burial; their families and friends could not reclaim them later, for "El Zapatillas" buried them piled up in the same ditch and sprinkled onick lime over the top. For this reason he earned another nickname: "El Enterrador"-the Undertaker. When the last group was being taken from the prison, four of them-one a priest-refused to leave. We prefer to die here if we must," they said, "but we will not go." They were shot. As in all the cities taken in the Nationalist advance, the churches of Barbastro were found to be without everything that is used in services; not even a candle was left. Fortunately the reredos of the Cathedral, which is very artistic, was not disturbed. But the tombs of the Bishops of Barbastro were the objects of special vandalism. There is not one that escaped destruction and profanation.
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FIRST COMMUNICANTS, ST. PATRICK'S SCHOOL, HAVELOCK ST., WEST PERTH.
for; walk."
That afternoon the wine -cellar: and taverns had been cleaned out. Wine and other intoxicants ruled the city. Meanwhile in the prison, the Bishor and his priests were praying fervently, preparing for their martyrdom. At 1 a.m., the Bishop said to his compaaions: "My sons, I am going to goie you my last blessing and then we shall celebrate, as did Jesus with His Di iciples, Many began to our last supper." weep. "Do not weep," he added. "We must pardon our enemies. They know not what they do." At 2 a.m. a squad entered the prison. Bishop Asensio took a last look at his clergy, then said to his executioners: "LK us go." The streets of Barbastro were resounding with the cries of debauchery. A troop of lewd women had arrived from Barcelona. One notorious character, known as "La Peruse," was waving her pistol and boasting of the number of people she had killed. And
Left to Right: Kenneth Smith, Timothy Quinlan, Billie Roberts, Maurice Moloney, John Hughes, Ronald Hall, Patrick Moloney, Veronica Dobson, June Newham, Janet Graham, Patricia Fels, Joan Cole, Kathleen Ryan, Rosie Crowley. Priest in charge: Rev. Father McGillicuddy.
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spirit that Bishop Asensio had inspired in his priests. More than 700 Rightists were executed at Barbastro. One of the worst torturers was known as "El Zapatillas." He visited his hatred even upon the
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