Canonization of 11 Christians martyred in 1860
Pope Francis will canonize 11 Christians martyred by radical Muslims in 1860 for refusing to convert to Islam. The martyrs, known as the 'martyrs of Damascus,' were Franciscan missionaries and laymen living in Syria. The massacre occurred in Damascus, and thousands of Christians were killed. Pope Francis previously canonized a group of 813 'Martyrs of Otranto' in 2013.