杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

The nine members of the Ulma family were beatified on Sunday in their Polish hometown of Markowa, where they were martyred by Nazi soldiers for harbouring Jews during World War II.

杏MAP导航 Francis upheld the family's actions as model of Christian life for everyone to follow, as he spoke at the Angelus prayer on Sunday.

He called the Ulmas 鈥渁 model to imitate in our efforts to do good and serve those who are in need.鈥�

鈥淚n response to the hatred and violence that characterized those times, they embraced evangelical love,鈥� he said.

The 杏MAP导航 added that the Polish family 鈥渞epresented a ray of light in the darkness of the Second World War鈥� and invited everyone to offer a round of applause for the new Blesseds.

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to urge Christians to follow their example by 鈥渙pposing strength of arms with charity, and violent rhetoric with tenacious prayer.鈥�

鈥淢ay we [pray] especially for the many countries that suffer due to war,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n a special way, let us intensify our prayers for martyred Ukraine鈥� which is suffering greatly.鈥�

Beatification Mass

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, presided over the beatification Mass in Markowa, which was concelebrated by 7 Cardinals and 1,000 priests, with over 32,000 faithful registered to attend.

The beatified family members are Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma, and their children Stanis艂awa, Barbara, W艂adys艂aw, Franciszek, Antoni, Maria, and an unnamed child who was born at the moment of Wiktoria's martyrdom.

In his homily at the Mass, Cardinal Semeraro said the Ulma鈥檚 family home became 鈥渁n inn where the despised, outcast, and death-stricken was welcomed and cared for.鈥�

He said Jozef and Wiktoria lived 鈥渁 holiness that was not only marital but was fully embedded in their entire family.鈥�

Blessed unnamed-babe

Cardinal Semeraro also upheld the Christian witness of the newly-beatified unnamed child.

鈥淲ithout ever having uttered a word,鈥� he said, 鈥渢oday the little Blessed cries out to the modern world to welcome, love, and protect life, especially that of the defenseless and marginalized, from the moment of conception until natural death.鈥�

He said the child鈥檚 鈥渋nnocent voice seeks to shake the consciences of a society where abortion, euthanasia, and contempt for life seen as a burden and not a gift are rampant.鈥�

鈥淭he Ulma family,鈥� said the Cardinal, 鈥渆ncourages us to react to that throwaway culture, which 杏MAP导航 Francis denounces.鈥�