Ceferino Giménez Malla

Ceferino Giménez Malla (1861-1936)

Ceferino Giménez Malla, also known by the epithets El Pelé, "the Strong One," or "the Brave One," was a significant figure in the Romani Catholic community in Spain. Born into a Catholic Romani family, his life was marked by his deep faith, his commitment to his community, and his eventual martyrdom during the Spanish Civil War. He is now venerated as a Blessed and is recognized as the patron of Romani people.

Life and Historical Context

Born in either Benavent de Segriá or Alcolea de Cinca, Spain, around 1861, Ceferino Giménez Malla's early life was shaped by the itinerant lifestyle of his cattle-trader father and the challenges of poverty. He learned both Catalan and Romany languages. After his father abandoned the family, they settled in Barbastro, where he learned the trade of weaving wicker baskets. He married Teresa Jiménez Castro in a traditional Romani ceremony, and they shared a devoted marriage of forty years, though they had no children. They later adopted Teresa's orphaned niece and solemnized their union in a Catholic ceremony.

Giménez Malla was known for his honesty and became a respected leader within the Romani community of Barbastro and surrounding areas. He was sought out for advice and often mediated disputes, both within Romani families and between Romani and Spanish individuals. His compassionate nature was evident when he assisted a landowner suffering from tuberculosis, an act that led to a successful business venture selling surplus mules.

Despite being illiterate, after his wife's death in 1922, Giménez Malla embarked on a new path as a catechist under the guidance of a local priest. He possessed a gift for teaching children, engaging them with stories. He was also an active member of the Secular Franciscan Order, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and participated in regular Eucharistic Adoration.

Martyrdom and Veneration

The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 brought tragedy to Giménez Malla's life. In July of that year, he attempted to defend a Catholic priest from Republican militiamen and was subsequently arrested and imprisoned. Accounts suggest he refused to surrender his rosary, defiantly displaying it when asked if he carried weapons. On August 9, 1936, Giménez Malla and others were taken to a cemetery and executed. He is reported to have died holding his rosary and proclaiming, "Long live Christ the King!" His body was buried in a mass grave and has never been recovered.

His cause for beatification gained momentum, and on May 4, 1997, Ceferino Giménez Malla was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Rome. The Pope highlighted Giménez Malla's ability to foster harmony and solidarity, particularly in mediating conflicts between Romani and non-Romani people, demonstrating that Christ's love transcends racial and cultural boundaries. Approximately 3,000 Romani people attended the beatification ceremony, underscoring his significance as the first Romani person to be beatified.