Pope Francis went ahead and beatified more than 500 Roman Catholic priests, nuns, and laypersons killed during the Spanish Civil War, over the objections of those who say the honor legitimized the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

“I join all the participants in the celebration with all my heart,” the pope said in a pre-recorded message played at the beatification mass in the city of Tarragona on Spain’s eastern coast.  Beatification is the final step before sainthood.

The 522 are believed to have been killed by republicans, among whom anti-Church sentiment was strong.  But critics say Pope Francis and the church are ignoring the tens of thousands more murdered by Franco’s fascists after he came out on top of the 1936 – 1939 Spanish Civil War.  Franco’s dictatorship lasted until his death in 1975.

“The Platform for a Truth Commission” is an umbrella association of dozens of groups supporting Franco-era victims.  It issued an open letter to the pope, saying, “Under the guise of a religious act, the (Catholic) hierarchy is committing a political act of pro-Franco affirmation,” adding, “You should know that the Catholic Church backed Franco's military uprising against the Spanish Republic in 1936.”

Hitler and Mussolini also backed Franco.  They sent their bombers over the Basque country in April of 1937, dropping explosives on unarmed civilians in the town of Guernica.  The bombing was the subject of a famous anti-war painting by Pablo Picasso.

A United Nations delegation last month urged Spain to revoke an amnesty law passed in 1977 that prevents the prosecution of crimes committed before 1976.