Massacre in the Rue Haxo explained

Location:Rue Haxo, Paris, France
Date:26 - 27 May, 1871
Partof:Semaine sanglante
Fatalities:110 Killed
Victims:Priests and Gendarmes
Perpetrator:Communards

The Massacre in the Rue Haxo (French: le massacre de la rue Haxo) was a massacre of priests and gendarmes by communards during the semaine sanglante ("bloody week") at the end of the Paris Commune in May 1871.[1] [2] [3]

Background

The communards associated the Catholic Church with conservatism and imperialism and enforced a separation between Church and state.

In April, the Commune had arrested some 200 clergy to serve as hostages against reprisals from the Versailles government, and to use in possible prisoner exchanges. In particular, leaders of the Commune hoped to be able to exchange the archbishop of Paris, Georges Darboy, for Louis Auguste Blanqui, but this offer was rebuffed by Adolphe Thiers, president of the Third Republic. Versailles troops entered the city on 21 May, and by 24 May had retaken much of the city. Théophile Ferré signed an order of execution for six of the hostages at la Roquette Prison, specifically including the archbishop; they were executed by firing squad.[4]

Massacre

On 26 May, 50 further hostages from la Roquette Prison were executed, this time publicly in rue Haxo.

On 27 May, some of them attempted to escape; they were immediately killed.

In total, 110 were killed, of whom 75 were clergy and 35 were soldiers.[5]

Legacy

Honorific Prefix:Blesseds
Martyrs of the Paris Commune
Birth Date:
8 November 1823
Bourbon-Vendée, Vendée, Kingdom of France

8 May 1823
Saint-Patrice-du-Désert, Orne, Kingdom of France

14 March 1807
Le Malzieu, Lozère, French Republic

14 December 1810
Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Haute-Savoie, French Empire

18 November 1814
Chasseradès, Lozère, Kingdom of France
Feast Day:26 May
Venerated In:Roman Catholic Church
Death Date:
26 May 1871 (aged 47)
Paris, French Republic

26 May 1871 (aged 48)
Paris, French Republic

26 May 1871 (aged 64)
Paris, French Republic

26 May 1871 (aged 60)
Paris, French Republic

26 May 1871 (aged 56)
Paris, French Republic
Titles:Martyrs
Beatified Date:22 April 2023
Beatified Place:Saint-Sulpice Church, Paris, France
Beatified By:Cardinal Marcello Semeraro

A chapel was built on the site in 1894, and in 1938 the church in rue Haxo was inaugurated as Notre-Dame des Otages.

The Five Martyrs of the Rue Haxo

On 25 November 2021, Pope Francis recognized five victims of the 26 May killings as martyrs: Henri Planchat, Ladislas Radigue, Polycarpe Tuffier, Marcellin Rouchouze, and Frézal Tardieu.[6] They were beatified on April 22, 2023, by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro.[7] [8]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Varley. Karine. 2021-07-03. Memories Not Yet Formed: Commemorating the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune. Journal of War & Culture Studies. en. 14. 3. 231–250. 10.1080/17526272.2020.1726008. 213316287 . 1752-6272.
  2. Web site: Tadié. Solène. 19 May 2021. France to mark 150th anniversary of anti-religious Paris Commune. 2021-06-04. Our Sunday Visitor.
  3. Web site: Luxmoore. Jonathan. 19 May 2021. Remembering the Catholic Martyrs of the Commune of Paris. 2021-06-04. NCR. en.
  4. Book: Milza, Pierre. "L'année terrible": La Commune. Perrin. 2009. 978-2-262-03073-5. 2. Paris. 403–404. 495366340.
  5. Book: Perny, Paul (1818-1907) Auteur du texte. Deux mois de prison sous la Commune; suivi de détails authentiques sur l'assassinat de Mgr l'archevêque de Paris (3e éd.) / par Paul Perny,.... 1871. EN.
  6. Web site: 2021-11-25. Cinq martyrs de la Commune seront prochainement béatifiés. 2022-02-07. Vatican News. fr.
  7. Web site: 2023-03-23. Samedi 22 avril 2023, béatification de 5 prêtres, martyrs à Paris en 1871. 2023-04-22. Diocese of Paris. fr.
  8. Web site: 2023-04-22. Cinq prêtres martyrs de la Commune béatifiés à Paris. 2023-04-22. Vatican News. fr.