Just as the man who thinks only of this world does everything possible to make life here easier and better, so must we, too, who believe in the eternal kingdom, risk everything in order to receive a great reward there. (Franz Jägerstätter)
Franz Jägerstätter (1907-1943) married Franziska Schwaninger in 1936 and honeymooned in Rome receiving a blessing from Pope Pius XI after which he maintained it was a spiritual awakening. He was a daily communicant and a Secular Franciscan.
At the time of his death at age 36, Blessed Jägerstätter left behind a widow and 3 small daughters. Interestingly both his priest and his bishop urged him to give up his conscientious objection, and join the army; his sacrifice was regarded as folly by his neighbors. The chaplain who saw Jägerstätter to his death related that Jägerstätter said, "I am completely bound in inner union with the Lord."
Reflecting upon the context of his life he said:
The situation in which we Christians of Germany find ourselves today is much more bewildering than that faced by the Christians of the early centuries at the time of their bloodiest persecution ... We are not dealing with a small matter, but the great (apocalyptic) life and death struggle has already begun. Yet in the midst of it there are many who still go on living their lives as though nothing had changed ... That we Catholics must make ourselves told of the worst and most dangerous anti-Christian power that has ever existed is something that I cannot and never will believe ... Many actually believe quite simply that things have to be the way they are. If this should happen to mean that they are obliged to commit injustice, then they believe that others are responsible. ... I am convinced that it is still best that I speak the truth even though it costs me my life. For you will not find it written in any of the commandments of God or of the Church that a man is obliged under pain of sin to take an oath committing him to obey whatever might be commanded him by his secular ruler. We need no rifles or pistols for our battle, but instead spiritual weapons, and the foremost of these is prayer.
The Common for Martyrs: One Martyr in Easter Time
Read William Diono's First Things article, "Franz Jägerstätter: Martyr and Model"
For another essay on Blessed Franz Jägerstätter read...
His biography, In Solitary Witness, can be purchased from Amazon
Erna Putz' biography, Franz Jägerstätter-Martyr: A Shining Example in Dark Times can be read here
The Houston Catholic Worker's article on the witness of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter
Franz Jägerstätter: Letters and Writings from Prison (Orbis Books, 2009).
I first learned about Bl. Franz in an interesting version of the Stations of the Cross that included his as "another Simon" of Cyrene, who carried the Cross of our Lord. I was deeply moved by the little bit of his story I heard then. I did not realize he was beatified in 2007, but am glad to hear it. Reading the links you posted led me to read Pius XI's 1937 encyclical to the German Hierarchy again (I read it many years ago) and it is plain to see that Bl. Franz's actions were absolutely in accord with what Pope Pius had written, in stark contrast to so many others who -- for one reason or another -- either could not resist "unto death" or actually surrendered their hearts and souls to the evil of the Reich.
Thank you for this reminder of heroism and faith.
Fr. Michael of Christminster
thanks for reading and the note. yes, Blessed Franz is an astonishing witness to Christ and his gospel. i wonder why so many capitulated to the barbarism of secular values instead of accepting that which gives life.