Augustinian Who Gave His Life for Christ
Early Life and Family
Anselm Polanco was born on April 16, 1881, in Buenavista de Valdavia, Palencia, Spain. He was the son of a farmer in this small town in northern Spain, a region known for its agricultural traditions and deep Catholic faith.
Spain in the late nineteenth century was a country of stark contrasts—deeply Catholic in its traditions and culture, yet increasingly divided between those who supported the Church and those who embraced various forms of anti-clericalism, liberalism, and eventually revolutionary socialism. Into this world, pregnant with future conflicts, young Anselm was born.
Vocation to the Augustinian Order
From a young age, he displayed a deep devotion to his faith. At the age of 15, he received the Augustinian habit, specifically joining the Augustinian Order as a young man at Valladolid, Spain, in 1896.
He professed vows in the monastery of Valladolid in 1897. The decision to enter religious life at such a young age demonstrates the intensity of Anselm's calling. At an age when many young men were just beginning to think about their futures, he had already committed himself irrevocably to God and to the service of the Church as a follower of Saint Augustine.
Formation and Ordination
There he studied philosophy, then theology at the monastery of Santa Maria of La Vid in Spain. He was ordained to the holy priesthood in December 1904.
After priestly ordination he was sent to continue studies in Germany, a common practice for promising young religious in that era. Germany was then a center of Catholic theological and philosophical scholarship, and this period of study would have exposed Father Anselm to the best of Catholic intellectual life while also showing him the challenges facing the Church in an increasingly secularized Europe.
Academic and Formative Ministry
He then returned to Spain to teach at Valladolid and La Vid. He was known for his exceptional intelligence and love for theology, leading to his appointment as a theology teacher in a seminary.
He served as a teacher of theology and formator of young religious. He was placed in various positions of the religious formation of novices, shaping the next generation of Augustinian friars. This work required not only intellectual ability but also deep spiritual maturity and pastoral sensitivity.
Leadership in the Augustinian Order
In 1922, Anselm became the prior of his monastery specifically at Valladolid from 1923 to 1929. In that year he went to the Philippines.
He later served as the provincial councilor of his Order in the Philippines, taking responsibility for missionary efforts. Gaining a reputation for prudence and sanctity, in 1932, he was named Prior Provincial of the Province of the Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines (Spain).
This was a position of immense responsibility. The Province of the Philippines was one of the most important Augustinian provinces, with a long missionary history dating back to the sixteenth century. The Spanish Augustinians had been instrumental in evangelizing the Philippines and establishing the Church there.
A Traveling Provincial
He gave particular importance to visitation of all the Augustinians in his Province. This required difficult journies to China, the Philippines, the United States, Peru and Colombia, since many of the Spanish Augustinians were engaged in missionary activity.
These journeys in the early 1930s would have been extraordinarily arduous—requiring months of travel by ship and train, crossing oceans and continents, often in difficult conditions. Yet Father Anselm understood that personal visitation was essential. He could not effectively lead men he did not know, or encourage them in their missionary labors if he had never seen the challenges they faced.
On his visits, he encouraged his brothers in their work of evangelization and urged them to live a religious life faithful to the ideals of Saint Augustine. In his new responsibilities, he assiduously carried out the visitation of the communities under his jurisdiction, giving careful attention to each house of his province.
This combination of administrative efficiency and pastoral care marked Father Anselm's leadership style. He was not content merely to send directives from headquarters; he went personally to each community, listened to his brothers, understood their situations, and offered concrete guidance and encouragement.
In his life as an Augustinian, Anselm was known as a man of kindly spirit, and a great promoter of unity and harmony – characteristics that served him well also in his brief ministry as bishop.
Episcopal Appointment
In 1935, he was appointed bishop of Teruel and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of AlbarracΓn. In 1935 Anselm was named Bishop of the Diocese of Teruel and Albarracin.
This appointment came at a particularly difficult moment in Spanish history. The Second Spanish Republic, established in 1931, had become increasingly hostile to the Catholic Church. When the Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, after months of persecution against Catholics by the government of the Second Republic, the situation became catastrophic.
His Vicar General: Blessed Felipe Ripoll
Bishop Polanco chose as his Vicar General a priest of exceptional holiness. He appointed BL FELIPE RIPOLL MORATA, a priest of great faith and humility, as Vicar General. Born in Teruel, Spain, on 14 September 1878 into a poor but devout family, Fr Ripoll was professor and spiritual director at the seminary and later became rector.
Bishop Polanco and Fr Ripoll shared the same deep faith and love of prayer. This spiritual kinship would prove essential as they faced the trials ahead. In choosing Father Ripoll, Bishop Polanco showed his wisdom in selecting a collaborator who shared not merely his administrative vision but his spiritual priorities.
The Spanish Civil War Begins
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the twentieth century. It began as a military uprising against the Republican government but quickly became a struggle between radically different visions of Spain's future. On one side were the Nationalists, supported by conservative Catholics, monarchists, and the military. On the other were the Republicans, an alliance of liberals, socialists, communists, and anarchists.
For the Catholic Church, the war was catastrophic. The Republican zone witnessed the most intense persecution of Catholics in modern European history until the Nazi Holocaust. Thousands of priests, religious, and lay Catholics were murdered. Churches were destroyed, religious art burned, and the practice of Catholicism effectively outlawed in Republican-controlled territories.
Bishop Polanco was man of deep faith, sincere piety, and constant prayer, to the point of being considered a saint even before his martyrdom.
The Decision to Remain
When Civil War broke out in Spain, in 1936, Anselm voluntarily remained in his Diocese, in spite of the strong anti-Catholic persecutions brought by the war. Despite having the option of leaving the diocese, he decided to remain.
This decision was made in full knowledge of the danger. Many bishops and priests fled to safety when they could. No one would have blamed Bishop Polanco for doing the same. Yet he chose to stay with his people.
In deciding to remain with his people, he followed the same advice that Saint Augustine himself had given to Bishop Honoratus centuries earlier: "When all are threatened by the same danger, that is, Bishops, clergy and laity, those who need the others must not be abandoned by those of whom they have need."
This quotation from Possidius' Life of Augustine (30,11) became the guiding principle of Bishop Polanco's episcopal ministry. He understood that the role of a bishop is not merely administrative but fundamentally pastoral—to be with the flock, especially in times of danger.
The following year civil war broke out in the country and the small city of Teruel became one of the sites of greatest struggle. The Battle of Teruel took place from December 1937 to February 1938 within his ecclesiastical jurisdiction, in which nearly 40,000 soldiers from both sides died.
The Battle of Teruel was one of the bloodiest engagements of the entire war. The city changed hands multiple times, with horrific casualties on both sides. Throughout this nightmare, Bishop Polanco remained, offering what comfort and ministry he could to his terrified flock.
Arrest and Imprisonment
Bishop Anselm was determined not to abandon his people, but rather to remain with them to offer comfort and guidance. On January 8, 1938, clothed in his Augustinian habit and accompanied by a group of priests of his diocese, he was taken prisoner by the occupying forces.
On Jan. 1, 1938, Polanco celebrated his last Mass at the Teruel seminary and was arrested eight days later, beginning 13 months as a prisoner of the Republican forces.
The significance of celebrating Mass on January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and then being arrested a week later cannot have been lost on Bishop Polanco. His last free celebration of the Eucharist was on a Marian feast—fitting for a son of Saint Augustine, whose devotion to Mary was profound.
Pressure to Compromise
The imprisonment was not merely punitive but coercive. Bishop Polanco's captors wanted him to compromise his witness and weaken the Church's moral authority.
He resisted firmly all attempts to have him retract his signature from a letter of the bishops of Spain denouncing before the world, the persecution being inflicted upon the Church in Spain.
He suffered great pressure from his captors, especially that he should remove his name from a pastoral letter of the Spanish bishops which was denounced before the world public opinion, the religious persecution the church was suffering.
This collective letter from the Spanish bishops had documented the systematic persecution of the Church in Republican Spain—the murders of priests and religious, the destruction of churches, the outlawing of Catholic practice. It was an embarrassment to the Republican government, which was trying to maintain international support. If they could get even one bishop to recant, it would undermine the letter's credibility.
Blessed Anselmo, knowing that such resistance put his life at risk, he refused to remove his name, in spite of threats, as well a promises.
According to witnesses, his captors went so far as to offer him the office of archbishop of Barcelona. This was an extraordinary bribe—Barcelona was (and is) one of the most important archdioceses in Spain. Yet Bishop Polanco saw through this transparent attempt to compromise his integrity.
Faithful to his ecclesial communion with the Holy Father, and with his brother bishops, he steadfastly refused such trumped up honors, which were not theirs to give.
When Teruel was taken by the Republican Army in 1938, Bishop Polanco stood by his people, earning their esteem. He resisted when pressed to remove his signature from the Spanish Bishops' Collective Letter denouncing the Church's persecution, aware of what his fate would be.
Life in Prison
He patiently endured prison, where they confined him for more than a year. During this time of trial he was rarely permitted to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
For a priest—and especially for a bishop deeply devoted to the Eucharist—this deprivation of the Mass must have been an intense spiritual suffering. The Mass was the center of his life, the source and summit of his ministry. To be prevented from celebrating it was a martyrdom in itself.
Yet Bishop Polanco did not allow despair or bitterness to take root. Still, faithful pastor that he was, he organized with the other prisoners, an intense life of prayer, based on the practices of piety and meditation.
While in prison, he organized an intense life of prayer along with the other prisoners. Unable to celebrate Mass, he created a community of prayer. Unable to minister through the sacraments, he ministered through encouragement, teaching, and example.
During his imprisonment, he was used as a human shield by soldiers, an additional humiliation and danger that he endured with patience.
Martyrdom
As the war drew to its conclusion in early 1939, the Republican forces began executing prominent prisoners. On Feb. 7, 1939, with less than two months left until the end of the war, he was bound and taken in a truck with other prisoners to the Can Tretze ravine, where he was shot dead.
More specifically, on February 7, 1939, just a few days before the end of Spain's Civil War, he was taken outside the prison and was executed by a firing squad a short distance from the Spanish-French border. On February 7, 1939, he was shot at Pont de Molins (Gerona), near the French border.
He was martyred in the persecutions of the Spanish Civil War, being shot at "Can Tretze" of Pont de Molins, Gerona, Spain.
The Vicar General of his Diocese, Philip Ripoli, was killed at the same time. Together with his Vicar General, Fr. Felipe Ripoll, Bishop Anselm was imprisoned for 13 months. Several days before the end of the war, on February 7, 1939, he was shot at Pont de Molins (Gerona), near the French border.
The fact that they were executed together—bishop and vicar general, shepherd and closest collaborator—is deeply moving. They had shared the same faith, the same commitment to their people, the same refusal to compromise, and finally the same martyrdom.
Blessed Bishop Anselmo Polanco, together with his vicar general, Father Felipe Ripoll, were cruelly assassinated on 7 February 1939, shortly before the war ended, and so are counted among the last victims of this Spanish civil strife.
The timing is significant and tragic. Had they survived just a few more weeks, the war would have ended and they would have been freed. Yet God's providence had other plans. Their martyrdom, coming at the very end of the conflict, served as a final witness to the cost of faithfulness.
A Bishop Among Many Martyrs
Bishop Polanco thus became the 13th Spanish prelate executed during those years of religious persecution. He was far from alone in his martyrdom. The Spanish Civil War saw the martyrdom of:
- 13 bishops
- Over 4,000 diocesan priests
- Over 2,300 religious priests and brothers
- Nearly 300 religious sisters
- Thousands of lay Catholics
It was the bloodiest persecution of Christians in Western Europe since the French Revolution. Yet through this crucible of suffering, countless witnesses to the faith emerged—ordinary priests, religious, and laypeople who chose death rather than denial of Christ.
Witness to Faith
The martyrdom of Anselm and Philip gave strong witness to their faith in Jesus Christ and their faithfulness to his Church.
What exactly did their martyrdom witness to? Several profound truths:
The Priority of Truth: Bishop Polanco's refusal to retract his signature from the bishops' letter showed that truth cannot be compromised for the sake of comfort or safety. The persecution was real, documented, undeniable—and he would not pretend otherwise, even to save his life.
Pastoral Charity: His decision to remain with his people when he could have fled demonstrated the Good Shepherd's love. He literally laid down his life for his sheep.
Ecclesial Communion: His refusal to accept the "offer" of the Archbishopric of Barcelona showed his understanding that the Church is not a collection of ambitious individuals but a communion of faith. He would not allow himself to be used to divide the bishops or undermine their collective witness.
The Power of Prayer: His organization of prayer in prison showed that even when external religious practice is impossible, the interior life can flourish. The captors could imprison his body but not his spirit.
Veneration and Relics
Anselm's mortal remains are at the Cathedral of Teruel. His remains rest in the Teruel cathedral alongside those of his vicar general, also a martyr, Father Felipe Ripoll.
The placement of their relics together in the cathedral is fitting. They served together, suffered together, died together, and now rest together, awaiting the resurrection.
Remarkably, Pope Leo XIV carries on his pectoral cross, among others, a relic of an Augustinian martyr bishop, Anselmo Polanco, who was executed during the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War. In addition to bearing bone fragments of St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica, the pontiff's cross includes two relics of Spanish Augustinian bishops: St. Thomas of Villanova, archbishop of Valencia and a reformer of the Church in the 15th and 16th centuries, and Polanco, the martyred Spanish bishop of Teruel.
This is an extraordinary honor—that the current Successor of Peter carries a relic of Blessed Anselm. It demonstrates the continued relevance of his witness and the esteem in which he is held by the Church.
Beatification
On July 2, 1994, Pope John Paul II issued a decree of martyrdom, officially venerating Anselmo Polanco as a Blessed.
He was beatified on October 1, 1995 by Pope John Paul II. This beatification took place along with many other Spanish Civil War martyrs, as Pope John Paul II sought to honor the incredible witness given by Spanish Catholics during that terrible period.
The beatification Mass was a moment of healing for Spain, acknowledging the suffering of those who died for their faith while also pointing toward reconciliation. Pope John Paul II, who had lived under Communist persecution in Poland, understood deeply the meaning of such witness.
Liturgical Celebration
Blessed Anselm Polanco's feast day is celebrated on February 7, the anniversary of his martyrdom. He shares this feast day with several other saints we have already explored in this series: Saint Richard the Pilgrim, Saint John of Triora, Blessed Pope Pius IX, Blessed Rosalie Rendu, and Blessed Klara SzczΔsna. This February 7 has become quite a feast of holy witnesses!
Spiritual Legacy
Blessed Anselm Polanco's life and death offer profound lessons for Catholics today:
Pastoral Fidelity: His decision to remain with his people when he could have fled demonstrates what it means to be a true pastor. Bishops and priests are not hired employees who can abandon their posts when danger comes; they are fathers and shepherds who must remain with their families and flocks.
Integrity Under Pressure: His refusal to compromise the truth, even when offered advancement and threatened with death, shows the value of integrity. Our word, once given, must be kept.
The Priority of Prayer: His organization of prayer life in prison reminds us that the interior life is more important than external circumstances. Even in a prison cell, deprived of the sacraments, one can be united with God through prayer.
Unity with the Church: His fidelity to communion with his brother bishops and the Holy See shows the importance of ecclesial unity. Individual Catholics—even bishops—do not stand alone but are part of a universal communion.
Courage in Persecution: His witness encourages all who face persecution for their faith. If a bishop can remain faithful unto death, so can we in our smaller trials.
The Augustinian Heritage: As a son of Saint Augustine, he embodied the Augustinian ideals of love of truth, community life, and pastoral charity. His martyrdom honors his spiritual father and the entire Augustinian family.
Relevance for Today
In our own time, when Christians in many parts of the world face persecution, Blessed Anselm's example is powerfully relevant:
- For bishops and priests, he models faithful pastoral care that puts the flock before personal safety
- For all facing pressure to compromise faith, he shows that integrity is worth any cost
- For those in positions of leadership, he demonstrates that true authority means service and sacrifice
- For Catholics in Western countries, where soft persecution through cultural pressure is increasing, he reminds us that faithfulness may require real sacrifice
- For the Augustinian family, he is a crown of glory and an inspiration to fidelity
The Spanish Martyrs: A Collective Witness
Blessed Anselm Polanco must be understood within the context of the larger martyrdom of the Church in Spain. Along with him, 98 other Augustinian friars were martyred during the Spanish Civil War—men young and old, professors and lay brothers, Spaniards and one Cuban.
Bishop Polanco and his fellow martyrs are not historical figures of the ancient Church, but men and women of the 20th Century whose generosity and perseverance in the face of great trials speaks loudly to us today.
This is crucial to remember. Martyrdom is not merely an ancient phenomenon from the age of the Colosseum. It happened in living memory, in a European country, to educated men who had every opportunity to save themselves by compromise or flight. Their witness proves that the age of martyrs has not ended—and that modern men and women can be just as heroic as the early Christians.
Prayer to Blessed Anselm Polanco
Blessed Anselm Polanco, faithful son of Saint Augustine and courageous shepherd of Christ's flock, you gave your life rather than abandon your people or compromise the truth. When offered safety through flight, you chose to remain. When promised advancement through betrayal, you refused. When threatened with death for your fidelity, you embraced martyrdom with peace.
Intercede for us before the throne of God. Pray for all bishops and priests, that they may have your pastoral charity and courage. Pray for all who face pressure to compromise their faith, that they may have your integrity and strength. Pray for the Augustinian family, that your example may inspire new generations to follow Christ with total dedication.
Help us to understand, as you did, that when all are threatened by the same danger, those who need others must not be abandoned by those of whom they have need. May we never abandon our brothers and sisters in their time of trial.
Through your intercession, may the Church in Spain—and throughout the world—continue to grow in holiness and bear witness to the truth of the Gospel. May all who suffer persecution for the faith find courage in your example and hope in your prayers.
Blessed Anselm Polanco, martyr and bishop, pray for us. Amen.
For Further Reflection:
Blessed Anselm organized a life of prayer even in prison, when deprived of the Mass. How can you maintain your spiritual life even when circumstances make normal religious practice difficult?
He refused to compromise truth even to save his life. What small compromises are you tempted to make in your daily life? How can you grow in integrity?
Meditate on the quotation from Saint Augustine that guided Bishop Polanco: "When all are threatened by the same danger, those who need the others must not be abandoned by those of whom they have need." Who needs you to remain faithful to them, even when it's difficult?
Pray today for Christians facing persecution around the world, especially for bishops and priests who risk their lives to minister to their people in dangerous situations.
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