At Ambiatibe in Madagascar, Blessed Jacques Berthieu, priest of the Society of Jesus and martyr, who labored zealously for the Gospel in peace and in war and, thrice driven from the missions, was at last attacked with blows out of hatred for the faith and, called many times in vain to apostasy, was put to death.
Lifespan: 1838–1896
Beatified: 17 October 1965 by Pope Paul VI
Canonized: 21 October 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, Rome
Memoria liturgica: 8 June
“I would rather die than renounce my faith.”
Life and Works
A Jesuit Priest after the Heart of Jesus
Jacques Berthieu was born on 27 November 1838 in France, at Polminhac, in the department of Cantal, near Aurillac, and was baptized the same day. He attended primary school in his village, then continued his studies with the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Aurillac.
At the age of fifteen his father allowed him to enter the minor seminary at Pléaux; without distinguishing himself academically, he completed his secondary studies and passed on to the major seminary of Saint-Flour, where he was ordained to the priesthood on 21 May 1863.
The bishop appointed him curate in the parish of Roannes-Saint-Mary, where for nine years he devoted himself with fervor to priestly ministry. Meanwhile, a religious and missionary vocation matured within him, which led him to enter the Society of Jesus in 1873. Already thirty-four years old, he joined the young Jesuit novices at Pau; the following year he moved among the theology students at Vals. He was fired with enthusiasm by the courses of Father Ramière, who communicated to him his own ardor for spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart.
“A Father Who Did Not Abandon His Children”
On 26 September 1875, Father Berthieu embarked at Marseille, bound for Madagascar. It cost him dearly to bid farewell to his family — above all to his mother — but he was happy. His dream was becoming reality: he had long since heard the voice of God.
Father Berthieu was first sent to the island of Sainte Marie. There he encountered the difficulties of the language: his memory was no longer very flexible, yet he applied himself with tenacity, having to return to his studies many times — but the day came when his Christians found his language truly clear.
On the island of Sainte Marie his time was taken up with catechism instruction, visits to Christians, baptisms, preparation for first Communions, the celebration and regularization of marriages. There was no lack of sick, nor of lepers, whom he attended with particular affection. Alongside this he engaged in the wise work of educating the indigenous people in rational agricultural cultivation, offering thereby assistance to their social advancement. The mission also found the necessary means to support the school for children.
In 1881, owing to the decrees expelling religious from French territories, he was obliged, along with the other Jesuits, to leave the island.
The years that followed frequently made him relive these hard experiences. At Tamatave he worked for a year and a half amid many difficulties, which nonetheless did not prevent him from exercising his ministry. Then, in January 1885, he departed for Vohémar, in the north-east of Madagascar, as a volunteer chaplain among the French soldiers; finally, in 1886, when peaceful relations were restored between the government of Paris and that of Tananarive, he hastened to return to his Malagasy people. On 5 June he was at Tamatave, and then at Tananarive, where he met with his confrères.
Ambositra was the new mission center entrusted to Father Berthieu’s care; he arrived there on 3 July 1886.
At the end of 1891, the missionary was obliged to leave this community: his superiors entrusted him with the locality of Anjozorofady, also known as Andrainarivo, to the north-east of Tananarive, as his new center of apostolate.
He gave himself with renewed zeal to the new community. The fullness of his priestly love was such that all who approached him were deeply moved: his detachment from all things and the poverty in which he lived aroused the admiration of all who knew him; his zeal and his readiness to hasten to the dying and to those in need moved his Christians; but above all it was the living and convinced faith with which he spoke of eternal life that drew admiration.
In 1894, within the space of a few months, the situation in the country became more fraught: Father Berthieu was forced once again to leave the community and return to Andrainarivo, where bands of rebels had risen against the French and were ranging through the country sowing destruction; they saw in the missionaries those who — by bringing Christ — had caused their pagan deities and their amulets to lose their power.
Faithful unto Death
In March 1896 the presence of three bands of insurgents (known as the Fahavalo or Ménalamba) was reported near Ambatomainty, one of the places where Father Berthieu was stationed. The French army, judging the village difficult to defend, ordered its evacuation: the inhabitants made their way to the summit of a nearby hill, where they camped as best they could. The father did not abandon his Christians; he remained with them to share their hardships and above all to encourage them, protect them, and strengthen them in the faith.
The villages were in the meantime set ablaze and destroyed.
To grief was added exhaustion: the father’s constitution could bear the privations no longer; he was seized with fever, and the faithful carried him bodily to Tananarive. There he was cared for as best as possible, and he recovered: during his convalescence he spent long hours on his knees before the Blessed Sacrament, made the Spiritual Exercises once more, and then, unable to remain longer away from his Christians, hastened to leave the capital to return to them. On 21 May he rejoined the faithful who, bewildered during his absence, regained their serenity and security at the sight of him. On 7 June, however, Father Berthieu received notification from the military authorities that the refugees who were with him — some two thousand in number — must immediately set out on the road to Tananarive, under the escort of a group of French soldiers.
Having celebrated Mass, the missionary joined the crowd that set off along the path leading to the capital. While the French soldiers kept to the head of the column, heedless of those unable to keep up, the sick, the elderly, and the children fell ever further behind; the column stretched for several kilometers. The father, on horseback, tried to move between one group and another to encourage them. At a certain moment cries of appeal reached him, and he turned back: a mission worker whom the father greatly loved was at the edge of the path, weeping with pain and fear. The father took pity on him and gave him his horse.
About three kilometers north of the Talata market, several groups of Ménalamba burst upon them. The father, together with some Christians, managed to reach Ambohibemasoandro: he spent the night there and celebrated Mass the following morning, 8 June. In the afternoon the village was overrun by the Ménalamba, who had been informed of his presence. They discovered him and seized him, then dragged him toward the village gate, where one of the ringleaders struck the father on the neck with a hatchet, wounding him; they then forced him to continue. When Father Berthieu had passed through the southern gate of Ambohibemasoandro, the Fahavalo stripped him of his cassock. The crucifix he wore about his neck was thus revealed. One of the Fahavalo leaders tore it from him violently, crying: “There is your amulet! This is what you use to lead people astray!” He then demanded: “Tell me — will you go on praying and making people pray, yes or no?” — “Certainly I will pray still, until death,” was his reply.
Once they arrived near the village of Ambiatibe, the Ménalamba isolated the father at a distance of some thirty or forty meters, though without binding him. The rebel chief ordered six men armed with rifles to step forward. Seeing this, the father knelt. Before long two marksmen fired a first shot, but did not hit him. He made the sign of the Cross. At that moment one of the chiefs approached him and said: “Renounce your foolish religion; stop deceiving the people; we will take you to make you one of our leaders and counselors, and we will not kill you.” — “I cannot possibly agree to that, my son; I prefer to die.”
The two men fired again and again missed. A fifth rifle shot struck the father in the back, but did not kill him; he remained simply on his knees. Then the captain drew near and fired a shot to the back of his head, killing him. It was 8 June 1896.
The Canonical Process
a) Towards Beatification
By virtue of the widespread reputation for martyrdom of Father Jacques Berthieu — in Madagascar as in France — the Informative Process on the martyrdom was held in the archdiocesan curia of Antananarivo from 1933 to 1935, and the Rogatory Process in the diocesan curia of Saint-Flour in France in 1934.
The Supreme Pontiff signed the decree introducing the Cause on 26 June 1940.
During the years 1947–1948 the Apostolic Process on the martyrdom of the Servant of God was held in the Archdiocese of Antananarivo. The decree super martyrio was promulgated on 8 April 1964.
His Holiness Pope Paul VI proceeded to the beatification of Father Jacques Berthieu on 17 October 1965.
b) Towards Canonization
From 11 March to 28 August 2005 the Diocesan Inquiry into an alleged miracle obtained through the intercession of the Blessed was conducted in the Archdiocese of Antananarivo — namely, the extraordinary healing of Mr. Jean François Régis Randriamiadana.
The Medical Board of the Congregation, meeting for the second time on 7 May 2009, unanimously recognized that the healing is inexplicable on the basis of current medical science.
On 15 July 2009 the Special Congress of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints was held. Following clarifications by the Postulation, the case was re-examined — with a positive outcome — by the Theological Consultors on 21 May 2011.
On 8 November 2011 the Ordinary Session of the Cardinals and Bishops was held.
His Holiness Benedict XVI authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree super miraculo.