International

The pope proclaims Father Manuel Ruiz López and six other Spanish Franciscans saints

Pope Francis proclaimed saints this Sunday the Spanish Manuel Ruiz López and seven other Franciscan friars, six of them Spanish, murdered in Syria in 1860, during a year of persecution and massacres against Christians.

Francis used the Latin formula as usual to proclaim his holiness and ask that they be inscribed in the books of the saints of the Church.

“We continue the work of Jesus in the world. In this light we can remember the disciples of the Gospel who are canonized today. Throughout the eventful history of humanity they were faithful servants, men and women who served in martyrdom and joy, like Brother Manuel Ruiz López and his companions,” said the pope at the canonization ceremony in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, in the presence of faithful.

Manuel Ruiz (Burgos, 1804) was murdered in the city of Damascus in 1860, when Christians in Syria and Lebanon suffered massacres by members of the Druse community.

At that time he was superior to the convent of San Pablo and was the victim of the fury of a multitude of Druss who on the night of July 9, 1860 broke into the Christian mud of Damascus. A few 30,000 people lived there, thousands of them were massacred and some took refuge in the monastery of Ruiz and the rest of the minor friars.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

With him they beheaded seven Franciscans today also canonized, including the Spaniards Carmelo Bolta, Nicanor Ascansio, Nicolás María Alberca, Pedro Nolasco Soler, Francisco Piñazo Peñalver and Juan Fernández, and the Austrian Engelbert Kolland.

The religious received a proposal from the Ottoman governor of the time to take refuge in his residence, but they rejected it when they did not want to leave the people who sought to protect themselves in the convent alone.

Other canonized

The Maronite lay Francesco Massabki, Mooti Massabki and Raffaele Massabki were also canonized at the ceremony. They were three brothers from Damascus closely linked to the community of the Franciscans who were in the convent of St. Paul along with the rest of the friars, where they also died murdered in the same massacre.

This Sunday, the Italian priest Giuseppe Allamano (1851-1926), founder of the Institute of the Missionaries of Consolata and the Missionary Sisters of Consolata, was also proclaimed saints, the Italian Elena Guerra (1835-1914), founder of the Congregation of Oblates of the Holy Spirit – known as the Sisters of Santa Zita-, and the Canadian Marie-Léonie Paradis (1840-1912), founder of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.

Among those attending the ceremony were authorities such as Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Spanish Government’s Courts.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

International

Venezuela frees at least 80 political prisoners, NGO says

At least 80 political prisoners were released on Sunday across Venezuela, human rights group Foro Penal reported, as the broader process of detainee releases continues at a slow pace under the interim government.

Foro Penal’s director, Alfredo Romero, wrote on social media platform X that verified releases took place nationwide and that the figure could rise as more confirmations are completed.

Attorney Gonzalo Himiob, also from Foro Penal, said the excarcelations occurred during the early hours of the day and emphasized that the number is not yet final pending further verification.

The releases are part of a series of steps announced by Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, who took power after the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026. Rodríguez has pledged a significant number of liberations but has been criticized by opposition groups and rights organizations for the slow and nontransparent nature of the process.

So far, the Venezuelan government reports that 626 detainees have been freed since December, though independent counts by human rights groups suggest the number of actual political prisoner releases is lower and that many remain behind bars.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Families of those still detained have maintained vigils outside prisons, hopeful for further releases even as broader concerns about political imprisonment and due process persist.

International

EU launches new probe into X over AI-generated fake nude images

The European Commission announced on Monday the launch of a new investigation into the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, over the generation of fake nude images of minors and women by Grok, its artificial intelligence assistant.

Europe will not “tolerate reckless behavior” by digital platforms, including the creation of “fake nude images of women and children,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in comments to AFP.

“Our position is clear: we will not entrust consent or the protection of children to technology platforms that violate and monetize them,” von der Leyen said. She added that while safeguards already exist, “we must do more to protect citizens, both online and offline.”

The new investigation aims to determine whether X (formerly Twitter) has violated the European Union’s strict digital regulations, which require platforms to protect users from illegal content.

The Commission also decided to expand the scope of an earlier investigation opened in December 2023 against X under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Grok includes a feature that allows users to create fabricated nude images based on real photographs of underage individuals or adult women, raising serious concerns over user safety and compliance with EU law.

International

Rights group says nearly 6,000 killed in Iran protest crackdown

A U.S.-based human rights group said on Monday that it has confirmed the deaths of nearly 6,000 people during protests that have been harshly suppressed in Iran, where the United States has not ruled out a military intervention.

The demonstrations rocking the Islamic Republic began in late December over the rising cost of living, but quickly evolved into a broader movement against the theocratic regime established after the 1979 revolution. Human rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of firing directly at protesters and blocking internet access since January 8 to conceal the scale of the crackdown.

Despite the unrest, clerical leaders remain in power, while opponents of the system increasingly view foreign intervention as the most likely catalyst for change.

U.S. President Donald Trump has kept the option of military intervention on the table, announcing that Washington has dispatched a U.S. Navy fleet to the region.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on Monday, warning it would react “forcefully” to any act of “aggression.”

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Non-governmental organizations monitoring the death toll said their work has been hampered by the internet blackout, and cautioned that official figures are likely far lower than the real number of victims.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), based in the United States, reported that it has verified 5,848 deaths, including 209 members of the security forces.