Make decisions out of faith and take the responsibility
Franz, a husband and father of three, was executed for his refusal to serve in the military under the Nazi regime in Austria. Although advised by his parish priest and local bishop that his duty was to serve his country and preserve his own life for the sake of his family, Jägerstätter held firm to his belief that to participate in an unjust war was to cooperate with evil, and so refused military service. Franz was beatified by the Catholic Church on
October 26, 2007 in Linz, Austria. He was a conscientious objector to war who died for his faith.
Join us to
Bishop Tom Gumbleton of Detroit is co-author of the America Catholic Bishops, Challenge of Peace. He is a prophetic voice in the American Catholic Church calling for an end to nuclear weapons and strong opposition to both the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Bishop Gumbleton is a supporter of soldiers struggling with their conscience and conscientious objectors.
Johanna Berrigan (House of Grace Catholic Worker) will join Bishop Gumbleton in the conversation following the viewing of Franz Jägerstätter A Man of Conscience. Over the years Bishop Gumbleton has come to know Franziska (Franz’s widow) and their daughters. He and Johanna attended Franz’s Beatification in Linz.
Jägerstätter Resources:
Diocese of Linz - Franz Jägerstätter Beatification Website : http://www.dioezese-linz.at/redaktion/index.php?page_new=870
Franz Jägerstätter, Letters and Writings from Prison, edited by Erna Putz, 2009 (Orbis Press)
In Memoriam: Franz Jägerstätter, Clay Vessels, John McNamee & Robert McGovern, 1995 (Sheed and Ward)
For more info: 215.952.0718