2023-09-01 08:56:33
The Ulmah family was killed during World War II to hide 8 Jews, and even the fetus in the womb was not spared; their whole family will be beatified together on September 10, 2023. This is something new to the current listing procedure.
(Vatican News Network) The family of Ulma in Poland will be beatified on September 10. His father, Josef, works in the fields, and his pregnant mother, Wiktoria, takes care of the six children at home. They took in Jews during the Second World War, so they were wiped out, even the fetus in the womb did not escape. Now the family, including the unborn child, will be beatified together.
The Ulmah family followed the teachings of the Gospel and lived a simple and modest life. They teach their children the faith, pray together at home, and read the Bible. Pope John Paul II therefore called them “small Churches”, opening their homes to those most in need. During the war years when Jews were particularly “needy”, despite the great danger and the humble two-room home, Ulma opened the house to eight Jews, providing them with shelter, food and friendship.
Now, if you visit Ulma’s former residence, you will find that in their family’s Bible, the word “Samaritan” is marked, with the words “Yes.” This is a conscious choice. A vocation to work hard to promote harmony during a historic period of violence, hatred and division.
Back to the Ulmah family’s last mortal day, March 24, 1944. The Nazis broke into their tiny home and shot at the mezzanine where the Jewish friends were hiding. The blood of the victims dripped from the ceiling and fell onto a photo on the table. The people in the photo are two Jewish women, one with a Star of David on his arm. This photo is preserved today as a Jewish “sacred relic”. The owners of the household, Joseph and Victoria, were dragged out of the house and shot in front of the children, who were then “executed”. Then, the house was destroyed by fire.
Fr. François–Marie Léthel, adviser to the Congregation for Canonization of the Holy See, published an article in the Roman Observer newspaper, saying that the massacre involved the persecution of Jews and the martyrdom of Christians. This remark was meant to emphasize that the victims were clearly innocent: in addition to Ulmah’s family, there were eight Jews.
The scourge of war might not obliterate the bright side of events. Ulmah’s family is revered by the State of Israel as the righteous of the world, and they are blessed to the Catholic Church. The whole family was recognized as martyrs, even the seventh child in the womb of the mother.
In this regard, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for Canonization, explained in an interview that the little life in the womb was also included in the request for canonization presented to the Pope. Perhaps out of fear, the birthing process had already begun while the Nazis were killing. “This is a very unique case,” the cardinal said. “When we connect it with the Gospel story, we can call it the ‘baptism of blood’. A similar example comes to mind: the Passion of the Babes of the Saints.” . including the recognition of the martyrdom of this little creature found in a mass grave following the massacre (whose head and part of his body had been separated from his mother’s womb). “
Link URL: www.vaticannews.cn
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