ATILANO COCO

MARTYR, 1936

Atilano Coco Martin (1902 - December 9, 1936) was a priest of the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church in Salamanca, where he also served as a teacher in the school attached to the church. He was also a prominent member of the Partido Republicano Radical Socialista (Radical Socialist Republican Party) and then of the Unión Republicana (Republican Union).

In September 1935, Coco was ordained a priest by the Anglican archbishop of Dublin. Shortly after, in April of 1936, he began teaching at the University of Salamanca.

In the summer of 1936, Atilano Coco was a well-known person in Salamanca, both for being the only Protestant pastor in the city and for his educational work and political activity in support of the Popular Front in the Spanish Civil War. Coco was arrested by Franco's fascist military on July 31, 1936, accused of "false news propaganda" and was placed in the provincial prison. During the time he remained in prison, he was never formally charged, but in his detention the fact of being a Protestant, a teacher, a Republican and a Freemason was decisive. Miguel de Unamuno, rector of the University of Salamanca and city councilor by appointment of the insurgents, was a personal friend of Coco and made arrangements with the civil governor to achieve his freedom, but without any result.

On December 9, 1936, Atilano Coco was officially released by order of the military governor, but in reality he was taken to the mountain of La Orbada, on the road to Valladolid, and shot. The place of his burial is unknown.

more at Wikipedia (in Spanish)