Conscientious Objector to Nazis Beatified in Austria

A Vatican cardinal beatified Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer who was beheaded in 1943 after he refused to fight in Hitler’s army. Presiding over the beatification Mass in Linz, Austria, Oct. 26, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins said Blessed Jägerstätter offered an example of how to live the Christian faith fully and radically, even when there are extreme consequences. Blessed Jägerstätter was beatified as a martyr, which means he was killed out of hatred for the faith. Many Austrian church leaders attended the beatification liturgy, and the Austrian bishops’ conference recently called Blessed Jägerstätter “a shining example in dark times.” In 1943, however, his refusal to serve in the Nazi army was not supported by his priest, his bishop or most of his Catholic friends. Particularly because he had a wife and three daughters, many advised him to think of his family and put aside his conscientious objection to the Nazi war machine. Cardinal Saraiva Martins, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said in his beatification sermon that Blessed Jägerstätter’s decision represents “a challenge and an encouragement” for all Christians.

Vatican Official Supports Nuclear Energy in Iran

A leading Vatican official expressed support for the development of a nuclear energy program in Iran, as long as it serves peaceful purposes. “Nuclear energy is something that can do good for humanity”—a principle that “is certainly valid for Iran, too,” said Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Cardinal Martino spoke Oct. 23 at an interreligious gathering in Naples, Italy. His remarks, reported by the Italian news agency ANSA, came as Iranian and European officials met in Rome to try to resolve growing tensions over Iran’s nuclear capability. Cardinal Martino defended the right to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program, and said any risks of improper use of nuclear technology “depend on the intentions of those who manage the program.” He said, “Anything is possible, in the sense that I can use a knife to cut bread but also to kill someone.” In dealing with such questions at a global level, he said, the international community must balance the need for peace and security with the necessary development of populations.

Orders Grappling With Complex Realities

Sister Mary Whited, the new president of the This article appears in November 12 2007.