Published on National Catholic Reporter (https://www.ncronline.org)
Aug 26, 2019
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German church hosts Maximilian Kolbe mass at Auschwitz
German
church hosts Maximilian Kolbe mass at Auschwitz
by Zita Ballinger Fletcher
20160630T1043-4380-CNS-VATICAN-LETTER-AUSCHWITZ.jpg
The entrance gate to the Auschwitz Nazi death camp is seen in
Oswiecim, Poland, in this Sept. 4, 2015, file photo. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)
Marking
the 80th anniversary of the German invasion of Poland (Sept. 1, 1939) and the
beginning of World War II, the German Bishops Conference held a Mass this month
at the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp honoring the legacy of St.
Maximilian Kolbe.
Archbishop
Ludwig Schick of Bamberg, Bavaria, celebrated the Aug. 14 Mass in a former
concentration camp barracks in honor of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan
priest killed there in 1941 by lethal injection after volunteering to undergo
execution in another inmate's place.
Schick,
who is chairman of the liaison group of the German and Polish bishops' conferences,
said he was grateful to speak at Auschwitz on behalf of Germany's Catholic
Church. He recalled the German invasion of Poland, saying that the start of the
war and early Nazi victories bolstered "schemes to wipe out the Jewish
people as well as the Sinti and Roma — which reached tragic climax
here in Auschwitz." He called attention to the suffering of the Polish
people during that time.
Schick's
sermon praised the legacy of Kolbe, born to a German father and a Polish
mother, who was arrested and detained at Auschwitz for defying Nazi policies.
Declining Nazi legal protection due to his German heritage, Kolbe stayed true
to his moral convictions and chose to suffer alongside the people that Hitler's
regime discriminated against as "undesirables." Kolbe made history by
offering to die in place of a Polish stranger, Franciszek Gajowniczek. Like
countless other inmates, Kolbe's remains were destroyed in a
crematorium.
Schick
called Kolbe a "thorn in the eye of the Nazis" who "did not want
to recognize Hitler as an all-powerful leader, but rather to proclaim that God
is the master and ruler of all people, all races and all nations."
"I
am a great devotee of Maximilian Kolbe because I am convinced that he is a
patron of Europe and of all humanity," said Schick. He said that Kolbe
demonstrated through his life and writings that God "gives to all people,
races and nations equal dignity and equal rights. He is the good fatherly God
of all."
Schick
said that Kolbe's witness urges present-day believers to pursue peace.
"All
wars have direct and indirect consequences," said Schick. "The direct
consequences are the deaths of soldiers and civilians, destruction of cities,
villages and entire regions. Thus many human relationships are shattered and
many souls are wounded."
20160728T1241-0766-CNS-SAINT-MAXIMILIAN-KOLBE.jpg
Father Maximilian Kolbe is pictured in an undated black-and-white
file photo. (CNS file photo)
"Therefore
we must pray and do everything we can so that there are no wars here in Europe
or elsewhere in the world."
More
than 1 million people perished in the Auschwitz concentration camp complex
during World War II. The exact death toll remains unknown. The camp was the
scene of some of the worst atrocities in human history. Inmates arbitrarily
imprisoned by the Nazis for racial, religious or political reasons were
subjected to torture, mutilation, starvation, pseudo-medical experiments,
psychological abuse and dehumanizing treatment. Families were forcefully
separated. Victims included women and small children. Inmates were cruelly
executed in various brutal methods. After death, victims were ransacked of
valuables and their remains were destroyed in crematoriums. The identities of
many victims remain unknown.
Kolbe,
called Prisoner 16670, was imprisoned in the camp in May 1941. The Franciscan
priest was a versatile individual. Friends remembered him as a humble and
methodical person with strong organizational skills and a flair for technology.
He was a military enthusiast and had strongly considered pursuing a soldier's
career. He was a gifted chess player, known to play against several opponents
at once.
Prior
to his arrest, Kolbe was a newspaper publisher and pioneered his own radio
station. He founded his own religious community in Poland called Niepokalanów,
dedicated to evangelization efforts. An aficionado of Japanese culture, Kolbe
also pioneered another community in Nagasaki.
Gajowniczek.jpg
The Auschwitz camp photo of Franciszek Gajowniczek, the man whose
life was spared when St. Maximilian Kolbe offered to be killed in his place.
(Provided photo)
During
his imprisonment, Kolbe was made a forced laborer and frequently subjected to
beatings. Witnesses said he endured the violence with remarkable calm. After
camp guards announced random executions in reprisal for a prison escape, Kolbe
offered his life in exchange for that of Gajowniczek, who cried aloud when
sentenced at the thought of leaving behind a widow and orphans.
"Let
me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children," Kolbe, age 47,
told the camp authorities, explaining that he was a Catholic priest and had no
family.
Gajowniczek,
who survived Auschwitz and lived to the age of 93, later recalled his shock at
Kolbe's action. He regretted that he did not ever get the chance to speak to
Kolbe or offer even a word of thanks.
"I
could only thank him with my eyes," Gajowniczek said. "I was stunned
and could hardly grasp what was going on. The immensity of it: I, the
condemned, am to live and someone else willingly and voluntarily offers his
life for me — a stranger. Is this some dream?"
Afterwards,
Kolbe was locked in Cell No. 18 in the basement of Block 11 along with nine
other prisoners. They were sentenced to die of starvation — a slow, painful
death. Guards reported later that Kolbe encouraged his fellow sufferers to pray
and created a peaceful atmosphere in the cell through his prayer and chanting.
All the men died within two weeks except Kolbe. Nazi guards became impatient to
"clear out" the room and executed Kolbe with carbolic acid, a highly
corrosive substance that causes burns and convulsions to human beings.
Today
a memorial to Kolbe with wreaths, candles and a plaque exists in the cell where
he died.
Kolbe
cell.jpg
A memorial stands in the cell where Kolbe died. (Provided photo)
Schick
said that Kolbe's bravery and profound opposition to the Nazi system stemmed
from his recognition of the sovereignty of God and the brotherhood of all
peoples, which is especially relevant today.
"The
acknowledgement of the only and almighty God is the most important contribution
to peace and unity among peoples that we Christians can give," Schick
said. "Its importance is even more heightened today, because we live in
times in which God is forgotten or indeed denied."
Operations
at the Auschwitz camp decreased in August 1944 after an American squadron of
127 bomber and 100 fighter planes destroyed many targets in the area, including
I.G. Farben chemical plants, a train station and an oil refinery. The
bombardment lasted 28 minutes and many prisoners were subsequently evacuated to
other camps. Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet troops in early 1945. The site
today is preserved as a memorial to victims.
"No
human being may make himself into God and no nation may lord itself over
others," said Schick, "because the only God gives to all peoples
equal rights and has delegated to all the same responsibilities of charity
towards one's neighbors."
He
stated his belief that Kolbe's spirit continues to promote world peace.
"Heavenly
patrons foster goodness and protect against evil and harms," said Schick.
"That is what Maximilian Kolbe does from Heaven."
Zita
Ballinger Fletcher has reported extensively on Germany's Catholic
Church for Catholic News Service.
Source URL (modified on 08/26/2019 - 3:00am): https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/german-church-hosts-maximilian-kolbe-mass-auschwitz
Donations can be sent
to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD
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"The master class
has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles.
The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives."
Eugene Victor Debs
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