Felipe Ripoll Morata was a Spanish Catholic priest born in Teruel in 1878. Raised in a religious and poor family, he eventually rose to serve as a rector and spiritual director within a diocesan seminary. During the Spanish Civil War, he supported the protest initiated by Bishop Anselmo Polanco, which led to his arrest. After spending thirteen months in captivity, he was killed in Pont de Molins in 1939 while being used as a human shield.
Life and death
After his arrest, Ripoll Morata endured over a year of imprisonment. His life ended in February 1939 when he was shot during the conflict. Following his death, his remains were interred in the cathedral located in his birthplace of Teruel.
Veneration
He is recognized as a martyr for his faith. On October 1, 1995, Pope John Paul II beatified him alongside forty-five other martyrs of the Spanish Civil War. Catholic believers commemorate him annually on the anniversary of his death, February 7.