Beatification Mass Honors Polish Family Who Sheltered Jews During WWII
Poland recently witnessed a significant and poignant event as it held a beatification Mass service to honor a Catholic family brutally murdered by Nazis for their courageous act of sheltering Jews during World War Two. The service, attended by Poland’s president and over 30,000 pilgrims, was led by an envoy of Pope Francis, marking a historic moment as it was the first time an entire family has been beatified, signifying a great honor and a significant step towards potential sainthood.
A Heroic Family’s Sacrifice
The family in question, Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma, along with their six young children, displayed remarkable courage and compassion by providing refuge to eight Jews in their farmhouse located in the village of Markowa in south-eastern Poland during late 1942. Among those they sheltered were Saul Goldman and his sons, Baruch, Mechel, Joachim, and Mojzesz, as well as Golda Grunfeld and Lea Didner with her daughter Reszla. Tragically, in 1944, the family’s act of humanity was betrayed, leading to their execution at the hands of the Nazis.
The Grim Reality of Nazi-Occupied Poland
In occupied Poland during WWII, aiding Jews came with a harrowing penalty – summary execution. The family’s betrayal is believed to have been orchestrated by a Polish police officer who informed the Nazis of their hidden charges. The Germans, in a heinous act, shot the Jews concealed in the farmhouse’s attic before turning their attention to the Ulma family. They executed Jozef and the seven-months pregnant Wiktoria in front of their terrified children, who ranged in age from 18 months to eight years. Heartbreakingly, the children were also brutally shot to death. Several months later, members of the Polish underground resistance took justice into their own hands and executed the police officer responsible for the family’s betrayal.
Pope Francis’ Tribute and President’s Gratitude
The beatification Mass, led by Pope Francis’ envoy, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, resonated with deep significance. In his address, Pope Francis hailed the Ulmas as a “ray of light” during the war’s darkest days and asked the crowd in St Peter’s Square to applaud their memory. The Pope’s words were broadcast live to the ceremony in Markowa. Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed his profound gratitude to Pope Francis for the extraordinary beatification of the entire Ulma family, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the historical truth about the wartime plight of Poles under German occupation.
Beatification and Poland’s Complex WWII History
The beatification of the Ulma family is a significant step in the Roman Catholic Church’s journey towards canonization or sainthood. Those who are beatified are declared “blessed” and are deemed worthy of public veneration. It is worth noting that Poland, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community in 1939, has seen more Poles honored by Israel as “Righteous Among the Nations” for their assistance to Jews during WWII than any other nationality. Nevertheless, Poland’s wartime history is complex, marked by instances of Poles denouncing Jews or participating in their murders, reflecting the extreme brutality of the Nazi occupation. The Polish government’s stance on historical research and its emphasis on Polish suffering during the war have sparked controversy and debate, with accusations of attempts to rewrite history and stifle research into cases of Poles who committed crimes against the country’s Jewish population.
SOURCE: Ref Image from The Star
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