Feast of Bd Franz Jagerstatter, who was beheaded by the Nazis in 1943 for refusing to take a military oath of loyalty to Hitler. He was the sole Austrian Catholic to take this stand. A video based on my text: piped.video/watch?v=nMtrwfz6…

May 21, 2021 · 1:25 PM UTC

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When people ask me who is my "favorite" saint, I often cite Franz. His witness recalls the early martyrs who were charged with blasphemy for refusing to worship the emperor and the gods of Rome. But what do you do when your own priest and bishop urge you to take that oath?
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Franz acted without expectation that his witness would change history or even be remembered by anyone at all. It was almost forgotten. But once you know his story, you can't "unknow" it. His writings published by @OrbisBooks. His story in Terrence Malick's film "A Hidden Life."
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Replying to @RobertEllsberg
A solitary heroic witness to conscience.
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Replying to @RobertEllsberg
He wasn’t the sole Austrian Catholic (in fact, Bl. Franz was inspired by Fr. Franz Reinisch, who was executed in 1943 for also refusing the oath). There were also hundred of other Austrians who suffered in concentration camps for their Catholic affiliations.
Matthew Balan ن @MatthewJLB
7 Oct 2020
Replying to @MatthewJLB
“...Between 1938 and 1942, 4,000 to 4,500 [#Catholic/monarchist Austrians] were arrested; 800 to 1,000 of them were executed or murdered in concentration camps.” (6/10)
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