Tuesday 7 June 2022 11:22 AM Skateboard hero of London Bridge may become a saint after he died using his ... trends now
The family of the 'skateboard hero' of the 2017 London Bridge terror attacks have launched a campaign for him to be canonized as a saint, with backing from the Roman Catholic Church.
Ignacio Echeverría, 39, was passing through Borough Market, near London Bridge, on June 3, 2017, when he saw a man attacking a police officer and then a woman.
The former banker used his skateboard to fend off the attacker and distracted him as other people fled to safety, before taking on another terrorist who was assaulting a police officer.
Spanish-born Mr Echeverría was then stabbed twice in the back by a third terrorist and sadly later died of his wounds.
Now, his family are seeking formal recognition of him as a saint, following an outpouring of tributes to his bravery in Spain and Britain, The Times reports.
Ignacio Echeverria, 39, was posthumously awarded The George Medal for 'confronting armed terrorists in order to protect others at London Bridge'. The medal was bestowed on his parents by The Queen
Pictures and videos of Mr Echeverria skateboarding featured in the Spanish media after his death and two skateboard parks were named after him in Madrid and Alicante
Khuram Butt walked over to the still-running tap, ran his knife under it to clean off the blood, and wiped it, first on one side of his face, then the other. He was shot dead by police
His relatives were first approached by Juan Antonio Martínez Camino, the auxiliary bishop of Madrid, to seek canonization following an open letter from Pope Francis after the attack.
The Pope wrote: 'The heroic offering of life, suggested and sustained by charity, expresses a true, complete and exemplary imitation of Christ and, therefore, deserves the admiration that the community of the faithful usually reserves for those who have voluntarily accepted martyrdom of blood or have heroically exercised Christian virtues.
He went on to say that those who 'offer their lives voluntarily and freely for others' were worthy of distinction.
Mr Echeverría has already received several posthumous honours, including the Spanish Order of Civil Merit and Britain's George Medal, which was bestowed on his parents by the Queen.
People ran for their lives after a white van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge on June 3, 2017, before the attackers got out brandishing knives - killing eight people in all
An association dedicated to promoting his path to sainthood was set up last November, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
Mr Echeverría studied law at the Complutense University in Madrid, followed by the Sorbonne in Paris and later worked investigating money laundering at HSBC in London.
His Catholic faith is said to have strongly influenced his life and he volunteered for the Catholic Action group.
A fan of skateboarding since he was a child, pictures and videos of Mr Echeverria featured in many Spanish media outlets after his death and two skateboard parks have also been named after him in Madrid and Alicante.
Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, were also shot dead by police
Eight were killed in the London Bridge terrorist attack of June 3, 2017. They were: (Top row, left to right) Christine Archibald, James McMullan, Alexandre Pigeard, Sebastien Belanger and
