Monday, October 10, 2005

Pope praises newly Blessed Cardinal von Galen for witness of faith & defiance of Nazis

Pope Benedict: newly Blessed von Galen saw with light of faith when intelligent world went blind

Vatican City, Oct. 10, 2005 (CNA) - On Sunday, before leading the weekly Angelus prayer, Pope Benedict visited the relics of the newly blessed Servant of God, Cardinal Clemens August von Galen, the late bishop of Münster, Germany who, the Pope said, was given the gift, through faith, to see clearly when much of the German intelligentsia went blind to the horrors of the Nazi regime.

Speaking off the cuff about the Cardinal, the Holy Father said that, "All people, especially we Germans, are thankful because the Lord gave us this great witness of faith who brought the light of truth to shine in times of darkness, and showed the courage to oppose the power of tyranny."

"But we must also ask ourselves where did he get such intuition from, at a time when intelligent people seemed blind? And where did get the strength to oppose, at a time when even the strong showed themselves to be weak and vile?"

more...

Bishop who denounced Hitler is beatified

10:47 AM EDT on Sunday, October 9, 2005
By FRANCES D'EMILIO / Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — A German bishop whose homilies boldly condemned anti-Semitism and other policies of Hitler's Nazi regime was beatified Sunday in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica, moving him a step closer to possible sainthood.

Clemens August von Galen, known as the "Lion of Muenster" for his courageous sermons while bishop of the Germany city, died in 1946, shortly after Pope Pius XII promoted him to cardinal.

Von Galen's homilies were secretly copied and circulated, according to German church officials. He also spoke out against the Nazi campaign to exterminate the mentally ill and handicapped.

more...

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home