In 1927 Mexico, during one of the fiercest persecutions against the...
Dr. M.F. Khan@Dr_TheHistories
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Aug 05, 2026
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In 1927 Mexico, during one of the fiercest persecutions against the Church in modern history, a young Jesuit priest named Miguel Agustín Pro continued to secretly celebrate Mass, hear confessions, and bring the Eucharist to the faithful—disguised as a mechanic, a beggar, even a police officer.
When the government finally arrested him on false charges, they sentenced him to death by firing squad.
On November 23, 1927, as he walked into the courtyard, Blessed Miguel Pro refused the blindfold. He held a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other.
Then, with a calm smile, he stretched out his arms in the form of a cross and cried out:
“Viva Cristo Rey!”
(Long live Christ the King!)
Moments earlier he had forgiven his executioners, saying:
“May God have mercy on you! May God bless you! Lord, You know that I am innocent. With all my heart I forgive my enemies.”
The guns fired. A second volley was needed. And yet the photograph of that moment—arms outstretched, face serene—became one of the most powerful images of Christian courage in the 20th century.
Blessed Miguel Pro was only 36 years old. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988 as a martyr killed in odium fidei—in hatred of the faith. His final cry still echoes: Viva Cristo Rey!
#drthehistories
When the government finally arrested him on false charges, they sentenced him to death by firing squad.
On November 23, 1927, as he walked into the courtyard, Blessed Miguel Pro refused the blindfold. He held a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other.
Then, with a calm smile, he stretched out his arms in the form of a cross and cried out:
“Viva Cristo Rey!”
(Long live Christ the King!)
Moments earlier he had forgiven his executioners, saying:
“May God have mercy on you! May God bless you! Lord, You know that I am innocent. With all my heart I forgive my enemies.”
The guns fired. A second volley was needed. And yet the photograph of that moment—arms outstretched, face serene—became one of the most powerful images of Christian courage in the 20th century.
Blessed Miguel Pro was only 36 years old. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988 as a martyr killed in odium fidei—in hatred of the faith. His final cry still echoes: Viva Cristo Rey!
#drthehistories
