2023-09-08 12:42:47
The Ulma family, who were murdered in 1944 for hiding and sheltering eight Jews in their home, are being canonized on September 10, 2023. Yosef, Viktoria Ulma, and their seven children were killed by the Nazis for hiding a Jewish family from Nazi violence in their home in Poland.
C. Roubini Chinnapa9 CTC, Vatican News
“The Ulma family became a symbol of the Poles who saved Jews during World War II,” Archbishop Stanislaw Gedecki, who presides over the Council of Polish Bishops, told Vatican Radio and Vatican News. He added that the beatification announcement would deepen Catholic-Jewish ties.
Archbishop Gedecki explained that the Germans executed the Ulma family on March 24, 1944, for hiding Jews from the Nazis. Parents and seven children were killed. This tragic incident was a rare one. He said that a whole family is elevated to the ranks of the blessed, something that has never happened in the history of the church.
The archbishop said that this indicates the openness that one man should have towards another when help is needed in any situation, and clarified that the Ulmak family was helping Jews despite knowing that their lives were in danger if they offered help.
“Despite living some distance from the village, this family must have realized the great danger posed by the Archbishop Germans, who pointed out that many people had been sheltered on the terrace of their house. The children of the Ulma family may not have fully understood the situation; they may have accidentally told the wrong people. The need to buy a large amount of food from the store may have attracted the attention of outsiders. Arch. Bishop explained.
It is interesting to note that the Ulma family was not the only one who hid Jews. Others also helped them. 21 people survived in this village. There was solidarity among the entire population of the region, he pointed out.
Archbishop Gedecki noted that Ulma risked their lives for others because of their Catholic faith and Christian love, which was rooted in Polish tradition. Their work highlights their respect for all living things from conception to natural death. They knew that every life should be protected and for that they made the ultimate sacrifice,” he added.
The situation in Poland was incomparable to other countries; Poles faced the death penalty for aiding the Jews. It is clear that there were notorious attitudes and actions. However, these cannot overshadow the bravery of those who have risked their lives to help others. “In the end, the measure of society is not what some criminals do, but the deeds of gentlemen,” he stressed.
He asserted that the canonization of the Ulma family would help deepen Catholic-Jewish ties and strengthen ties between Poles and the Jewish people. “These were critical issues for St. John Paul II. He grew up in a school attended by Jewish children. And, in his later years, he had many Jewish acquaintances and friends. He also met them as Pope. Thus, we see in his pontificate a commitment to Catholic-Jewish dialogue, Poland Archbishop Stanislav Gedecki, chairing the Bishops’ Committee, said.
On March 24, 1944, a group of Nazi police surrounded their home in the Polish suburb of Markowa and found eight Jews who had sought refuge on the Ulma family’s farm. After they were executed, Nazi police executed Viktoria and Yosef, who were seven months pregnant. Stanislava (8), Barbara (7), Vladislav (6), Franziska (4), Anthony (3) and Maria (2) were also shot dead as the children began to scream following seeing their parents killed.
One of the most unprecedented modern sanctification ceremonies is that of the Ulma family on September 10. This rare canonization of an entire family, including the child the mother carried in her womb, is a testament to her sheltering eight Jews from persecution during World War II.
1694180625
#Ulma #family #symbol #Poles #saving #Jews
