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Pope Leo XIV has taken a significant step in the process of sainthood for two missionaries who were killed in Ecuador while attempting to protect Indigenous peoples. The Vatican announced on May 22 that Pope Leo recognized the sacrifices of Spanish Bishop Alejandro Labaka Ugarte and Colombian Sister Inés Arango Velásquez as an "offering of life." This recognition, distinct from martyrdom, was established by Pope Francis in 2017 through the apostolic letter "Maiorem hac Dilectionem."
Bishop Labaka, born on April 19, 1920, in Spain, joined the Capuchins in 1937 and was ordained in 1945. His missionary journey took him to China and later to Ecuador, where he dedicated his life to serving Indigenous communities. He resigned as prefect of Aguarico in 1970 to focus entirely on working with these communities.
Sister Arango was born on April 6, 1937, in Medellín, Colombia. She spent two decades teaching before joining the Capuchin mission in Aguarico in 1977. Her work included evangelizing Indigenous communities under Bishop Labaka's guidance.
In July 1987, amid tensions between oil companies and Indigenous groups over land rights, Bishop Labaka and Sister Arango attempted to mediate by visiting the Tagaeri people using an oil-company helicopter. They were killed during this mission. Their deaths prompted the Ecuadorian government to halt extractive activities in areas inhabited by the Huaorani and Tagaeri peoples and eventually led to the establishment of a protected zone for these communities.
During a meeting with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro on May 22, Pope Leo also advanced the sainthood cause of Bishop Matthew Makil from India. Born on March 27, 1851, he contributed significantly to Catholic education and religious congregations until his death on January 26, 1914.
