Blessed Franz Jagerstatter

Blessed Franz Jagerstatter

Fr Pat Witness to Uncompromising Discipleship

Pat Collins C.M. who is currently on sabbatical in the United States, reflects on the inspirational life of Franz Jagerstatter, who was executed for refusing to fight for the Nazis

When I was in the seminary about 40 years ago, Gordon Zahn’s book, “In Solitary Witness: the Life and Death of Franz Jagerstatter,” was read during the meal times. It made a deep and lasting impression on me. It was about a Catholic peasant from Austria. He was born out of wedlock in 1907, a few miles from Hitler’s birth place. Following a rowdy youth, when he fathered a daughter outside wedlock, he had a religious awakening at the age of 27. Two years later he married and had three daughters. Although he was poorly educated, he began to read the Scriptures and spiritual books. He joined the Third Order of St. Francis and occasionally acted as· sacristan in his local church. Around this time he said in a personal way to his wife: “I can say from my own experience how painful life often is when one lives as a halfway Christian; it is more like vegetating than living.”

The Nazis annexed Austria in 1938. As a result of a revelatory dream Franz was convinced that the regime was evil. He referred to national socialism as a shiny train which was leading its many passengers to hell. He was right. The Fuhrer had stated: “I freed Germany from the stupid and degrading fallacies of conscience and morality.” In these demonic words he boasted of liberating his country from obedience to God. If proof were needed, Jagerstatter heard subsequently in 1941 how the Nazis were mistreating people who had mental handicaps. Even so, he was the only person in his village to vote against the Anschluss, the political union of Nazi Germany and Austria. He did this despite the fact that his wife Franziska wanted him to go along with everyone else in case he might jeopardize the family’s safety. He was so opposed to the regime that he even turned down money to which he was entitled through a Nazi family assistance program. When a storm destroyed the crops in his region, he would not take the emergency aid offered by the authorities.

Better to die than sin

Like many others, Franz was enlisted into the army. At first he thought it might be OK because he would be obeying the secular authorities and opposing communism. However, soon afterward he refused to fight on the basis that Hitler was conducting an unjust war. His offer to serve in the medical corps was turned down. As a result, he was imprisoned in Linz where he experienced a brief crisis of faith. Many people, including his relatives, parish priest and bishop tried to prevail upon him to change his mind. Instinctively he knew, as Cardinal Newman had said: “Conscience is the original Vicar of Christ.” He stated at the time: “Again and again they try to trouble my conscience over my wife and children. Is an action any better because one is married and has children? Is it better or worse because thousands of other Catholics are doing the same?... Everyone tells me, of course, that I should not do what I am doing because of the danger of death. I believe it is better to sacrifice one’s life right away than to place oneself in the grave danger of committing sin and then dying.” Surely, that moving statement, illustrates exactly what Jesus said about the demands of uncompromising discipleship.

As a result of his objection to fighting in an unjust war, Jagerstatter was tried by a military court and sentenced to death. He was sent to a prison in Berlin. There he was able to receive Holy Communion occasionally; and was encouraged when he heard about the heroic witness of Franz Reinisch, a Pallottine priest, who had already been executed as a conscientious objector. While in prison Jagerstatter wrote: “Just as the man who thinks only of this world does everything possible to make life here easier and better, so must we, too, who believe in the eternal Kingdom, risk everything to receive a great reward there.” In his last letter to his wife he said, “Dearest wife and mother! It was not possible for me to free you from the pain that you must suffer now on my account. How hard it must have been for our dear Saviour when, through his sufferings and death, he had to prepare such a great sorrow for his mother.”

On the day of his execution, Fr. Jochmann, the prison chaplain, spent some time with Jagerstatter. He reported that the prisoner was calm and uncomplaining. He refused any religious material, even a New Testament, saying, “I am completely bound in inner union with the Lord, and any reading would only interrupt my communication with my God.” At 4 p.m. that day; Aug. 9, 1943, Franz Jagerstatter was beheaded and later cremated. Afterward Fr. Jochmann told some nuns, “The military beheaded a great man today. He lived as a saint and has died a hero. I feel with certainty that this simple man is the only saint that I have ever met in my lifetime.” Now some 64 years later, Fr. Jochmann’s impression has been confirmed by Pope Benedict XV1. In June 2007 he declared that Franz Jagerstatter was a martyr for the faith.

On the 26th of October 2007 he was beatified in Linz Cathedral by the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the presence of 27 cardinals and bishops, his 94 year old wife Franziska, his four daughters Hildegard, Maria, Aloisia and Rosalia, and a congregation of over 5000. In his beatification sermon, Cardinal Saraiva Martins said that Blessed Jagerstatter’s witness represents “a challenge and an encouragement” for all Christians who want to “live their faith with coherence and radical commitment, even accepting extreme consequences if necessary.” His courageous faith is an important example in modern times, when people face “conditioning and manipulation of consciences and minds, sometimes through deceitful means.”

Do not be conformed to this world

Surely, it will only be a matter of time before blessed Franz is canonized. It the meantime his witness is extremely relevant in a world where the beliefs and values of millions are so often at odds with those of Jesus Christ. In obedience to Christian conscience we need to resist all compromise with the world, the flesh and the devil. As Paul said in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” It is obvious from the writings of Blessed Franz that he strongly believed that those who lived according to Christian conscience, no matter what sacrifices it entailed, would enjoy eternal happiness in heaven.

However, he repeatedly warned lukewarm and lapsed Catholics, who maintained, “what nature demands of people cannot be sinful,” were already on the train that leads to perdition. Nowadays many people have boarded, not the Nazi train, but the train of worldliness and materialism. Blessed Franz would say to them with a sense of urgency and loving concern, “Jump out before it reaches its destination, even if it costs you your life!”

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Franz Jagerstatter
Franz Jegerstatter

When I was in the seminary about 40 years ago, Gordon Zahn’s book, “In Solitary Witness: the Life and Death of Franz Jagerstatter,” was read during the meal times. It made a deep and lasting impression on me. It was about a Catholic peasant from Austria. He was born out of wedlock in 1907, a few miles from Hitler’s birth place. Following a rowdy youth, when he fathered a daughter outside wedlock, he had a religious awakening at the age of 27. Two years later he married and had three daughters. Although he was poorly educated, he began to read the Scriptures and spiritual books. He joined the Third Order of St. Francis and occasionally acted as· sacristan in his local church. Around this time he said in a personal way to his wife: “I can say from my own experience how painful life often is when one lives as a halfway Christian; it is more like vegetating than living.” The Nazis annexed Austria in 1938. As a result of a revelatory dream Franz was convinced that the regime was evil. He referred to national socialism as a shiny train which was leading its many passengers to hell. He was right. The Fuhrer had stated: “I freed Germany from the stupid and degrading fallacies of conscience and morality.” In these demonic words he boasted of liberating his country from obedience to God. If proof were needed, Jagerstatter heard subsequently in 1941 how the Nazis were mistreating people who had mental handicaps. Even so, he was the only person in his village to vote against the Anschluss, the political union of Nazi Germany and Austria. He did this despite the fact that his wife Franziska wanted him to go along with everyone else in case he might jeopardize the family’s safety. He was so opposed to the regime that he even turned down money to which he was entitled through a Nazi family assistance program. When a storm destroyed the crops in his region, he would not take the emergency aid offered by the authorities. Better to die than sin Like many others, Franz was enlisted into the army. At first he thought it might be OK because he would be obeying the secular authorities and opposing communism. However, soon afterward he refused to fight on the basis that Hitler was conducting an unjust war. His offer to serve in the medical corps was turned down. As a result, he was imprisoned in Linz where he experienced a brief crisis of faith. Many people, including his relatives, parish priest and bishop tried to prevail upon him to change his mind. Instinctively he knew, as Cardinal Newman had said: “Conscience is the original Vicar of Christ.” He stated at the time: “Again and again they try to trouble my conscience over my wife and children. Is an action any better because one is married and has children? Is it better or worse because thousands of other Catholics are doing the same?... Everyone tells me, of course, that I should not do what I am doing because of the danger of death. I believe it is better to sacrifice one’s life right away than to place oneself in the grave danger of committing sin and then dying.” Surely, that moving statement, illustrates exactly what Jesus said about the demands of uncompromising discipleship. As a result of his objection to fighting in an unjust war, Jagerstatter was tried by a military court and sentenced to death. He was sent to a prison in Berlin. There he was able to receive Holy Communion occasionally; and was encouraged when he heard about the heroic witness of Franz Reinisch, a Pallottine priest, who had already been executed as a conscientious objector. While in prison Jagerstatter wrote: “Just as the man who thinks only of this world does everything possible to make life here easier and better, so must we, too, who believe in the eternal Kingdom, risk everything to receive a great reward there.” In his last letter to his wife he said, “Dearest wife and mother! It was not possible for me to free you from the pain that you must suffer now on my account. How hard it must have been for our dear Saviour when, through his sufferings and death, he had to prepare such a great sorrow for his mother.” On the day of his execution, Fr. Jochmann, the prison chaplain, spent some time with Jagerstatter. He reported that the prisoner was calm and uncomplaining. He refused any religious material, even a New Testament, saying, “I am completely bound in inner union with the Lord, and any reading would only interrupt my communication with my God.” At 4 p.m. that day; Aug. 9, 1943, Franz Jagerstatter was beheaded and later cremated. Afterward Fr. Jochmann told some nuns, “The military beheaded a great man today. He lived as a saint and has died a hero. I feel with certainty that this simple man is the only saint that I have ever met in my lifetime.” Now some 64 years later, Fr. Jochmann’s impression has been confirmed by Pope Benedict XV1. In June 2007 he declared that Franz Jagerstatter was a martyr for the faith. On the 26th of October 2007 he was beatified in Linz Cathedral by the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the presence of 27 cardinals and bishops, his 94 year old wife Franziska, his four daughters Hildegard, Maria, Aloisia and Rosalia, and a congregation of over 5000. In his beatification sermon, Cardinal Saraiva Martins said that Blessed Jagerstatter’s witness represents “a challenge and an encouragement” for all Christians who want to “live their faith with coherence and radical commitment, even accepting extreme consequences if necessary.” His courageous faith is an important example in modern times, when people face “conditioning and manipulation of consciences and minds, sometimes through deceitful means.” Do not be conformed to this world Surely, it will only be a matter of time before blessed Franz is canonized. It the meantime his witness is extremely relevant in a world where the beliefs and values of millions are so often at odds with those of Jesus Christ. In obedience to Christian conscience we need to resist all compromise with the world, the flesh and the devil. As Paul said in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” It is obvious from the writings of Blessed Franz that he strongly believed that those who lived according to Christian conscience, no matter what sacrifices it entailed, would enjoy eternal happiness in heaven. However, he repeatedly warned lukewarm and lapsed Catholics, who maintained, “what nature demands of people cannot be sinful,” were already on the train that leads to perdition. Nowadays many people have boarded, not the Nazi train, but the train of worldliness and materialism. Blessed Franz would say to them with a sense of urgency and loving concern, “Jump out before it reaches its destination, even if it costs you your life!” << Top Home >>		Franz Jegerstatter