Arrr, the Catholic Church be blessin' a Polish crew who hid Jews durin' the great war! They be martyrs, mateys!
2023-09-10
Arrr, on this fine Sunday, the Ulma crew, brave souls who hid Jews in Poland durin' the grim days o' World War II, be declared blessed by the heavens. Not only that, but Wiktoria Ulma's wee babe, still nestled in her womb, be counted among the blessed as well.
In a ceremony held in Markowa, Poland, the Catholic Church beatified the Ulma family, who had sheltered Jews during World War II, calling them "a ray of light in the darkness." The beatification was signed by Pope Francis in August and was attended by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro. He stated that the Ulma family had "paid the highest price of martyrdom" due to their act of hospitality and care. Pope Francis, addressing the public in St. Peter's Square, praised the Ulmas for representing a model of service to others for all Catholics.The Ulma family, consisting of farmer Jozef Ulma, his pregnant wife Wiktoria, and their children, were tragically murdered by the Nazis on March 24, 1944. The children's ages ranged from 7 years to 18 months old. The family's devout Catholicism and their decision to shelter Jews resulted in their untimely deaths. The Vatican faced a challenge in beatifying Wiktoria's unborn child, as the child was not baptized. However, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints declared that the child had received "baptism by blood" as they were born during the murder.
Rev. Robert Gahl, a professor at Catholic University of America, stated that the Church's beatification of the child affirmed that the Nazis targeted the Ulmas because of their Catholic faith. This intention is necessary for martyrdom and beatification. The next step towards sainthood is canonization, which requires a miracle attributed to the Ulmas' intercession.
The Ulma family's tragic deaths occurred around four and a half years after the Nazis invaded Poland, resulting in the deaths of approximately six million Poles, half of whom were Jewish. The beatification of the Ulma family serves as a reminder of their bravery and selflessness during a dark period in history.