Vatican beatifies civil-war martyrs

Thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square today for the Vatican’s largest beatification ceremony with 498 victims of religious persecution before and during Spain’s civil war being put on the path to possible sainthood.

Seventy-one bishops from Spain, a host of Spanish politicians and Spanish pilgrims were on hand for the ceremony, which comes at a particularly delicate time for Spain as it takes an unprecedented look at its past.