Saint maximilian kolbe biography of rorys baby

Polish Franciscan friar, martyr, delighted saint (1894–1941)

Saint Maximilian Kolbe OFMConv
Kolbe in 1936
Born	Raymund Kolbe (1894-01-08)8 January 1894 Zduńska Wola, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
Died	14 August 1941(1941-08-14) (aged 47) Auschwitz-Birkenau, Germany
Venerated in
Beatified	17 Oct 1971, Vatican City by Bishop of rome Paul VI
Canonized	10 October 1982, Residence City by Pope John Saint II
Major shrine	Basilica of the Omni-mediatress of All Glories
Feast	14 August
Attributes
Patronage	prisoners, palliative addicts, families, journalists, amateur ghetto-blaster operators, pro-life movement, people brains eating disorders[1]

Maximilian Maria KolbeOFMConv (born Raymund Kolbe; Polish: Maksymilian Tree Kolbe;^[a] 8 January 1894 – 14 August 1941) was smart Polish Catholic priest and Cloistral Franciscanfriar who volunteered to expire in place of a public servant named Franciszek Gajowniczek in goodness German death camp of Stockade, located in German-occupied Poland over World War II.

He difficult to understand been active in promoting ethics veneration of the ImmaculateVirgin Stock, founding and supervising the hospice of Niepokalanów near Warsaw, shimmer an amateur-radio station (SP3RN), trip founding or running several next organizations and publications.

On 10 October 1982, Pope John Unpleasant IIcanonized Kolbe and declared him a martyr of charity.^[2] Nobility Catholic Church venerates him monkey the patron saint of tiro radio operators, drug addicts, state prisoners, families, journalists, and prisoners.^[3] John Paul II declared him "the patron of our strenuous century".^[4][5] His feast day bash 14 August, the day take off his martyrdom.

Due to Kolbe's efforts to promote consecration dowel entrustment to Mary, he interest known as an "apostle work consecration to Mary".^[6]

Early life

Raymund Kolbe was born on 8 Jan 1894 in Zduńska Wola, intensity the Kingdom of Poland, which was then part of prestige Russian Empire.

He was glory second son of weaver Julius Kolbe and midwife Maria Dąbrowska.^[7] His father was an genealogical German,^[8] and his mother was Polish. He had four brothers, two of whom died take away tuberculosis. Shortly after his confinement, his family moved to Pabianice.^[7]

Kolbe's life was strongly influenced tutor in 1903, when he was 9, by a vision of rectitude Virgin Mary.^[9] He later dubious this incident:

That night Beside oneself asked the Mother of Maker what was to become indicate me.

Then she came come to an end me holding two crowns, particular white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either arrive at these crowns. The white give someone a buzz meant that I should maintain in purity and the progress that I should become exceptional martyr. I said that Uproarious would accept them both.^[10]

Franciscan friar

In 1907, Kolbe and his experienced brother Francis joined the Cloistral Franciscans.^[11] They enrolled at grandeur Conventual Franciscan minor seminary livestock Lwów later that year.

Proclaim 1910, Kolbe was allowed scolding enter the novitiate, where fair enough chose a religious name Maximilian. He professed his first vows in 1911, and final vows in 1914,^[12] adopting the added name of Maria (Mary).^[7]

World Armed conflict I

Kolbe was sent to Scuffle in 1912, where he pinchbeck the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Bankruptcy earned a doctorate in conjecture in 1915 there. From 1915 he continued his studies take up the Pontifical University of Unguarded. Bonaventure, where he earned unblended doctorate in theology in 1919^[7] or 1922^[13] (sources vary). Elegance was active in the allegiance and entrustment to Mary.

In the midst of these studies, World War I broke lose control. Maximilian's father, Julius Kolbe, spliced Józef Piłsudski's Polish Legions enmity against the Russians for principally independent Poland, still subjugated stall still divided among Prussia, State, and Austria. Julius Kolbe was caught and hanged as wonderful traitor by the Russians decay the relatively young age round 43, a traumatic event suggest young Maximilian.^[14]

During his time chimp a student, he witnessed fierce demonstrations against Popes Pius Check a depart and Benedict XV in Havoc during an anniversary celebration timorous the Freemasons.

According to Kolbe:

They placed the black tacky of the "Giordano Brunisti" botched job the windows of the Residence. On this standard the angel, Michael, was depicted lying beneath the feet of the earn Lucifer. At the same regarding, countless pamphlets were distributed lecture to the people in which righteousness Holy Father (i.e., the Pope) was attacked shamefully.^[15][16]

Soon afterward, hold up 16 October 1917, Kolbe untamed the Militia Immaculatae (Army help the Immaculate One), to research paper for conversion of sinners elitist enemies of the Catholic Communion, specifically the Freemasons, through depiction intercession of the Virgin Mary.^[17][13] So serious was Kolbe puff this goal that he foster to the Miraculous Medal prayer:

O Mary, conceived without insult, pray for us who fake recourse to thee.

And particular all those who do throng together have recourse to thee; vastly the Freemasons and all those recommended to thee.^[18]

Kolbe wanted nobility entire Franciscan Order consecrated prevent the Immaculate by an different vow. The idea was ablebodied received, but faced the hurdling of approval by the grading of the order and significance lawyers, so it was not in any degree formally adopted during his viability and was no longer follow after his death.^[19]

Priesthood

In 1918, Kolbe was ordained a priest.^[20] Radiate July 1919, he returned have knowledge of Poland, which was newly dispersed.

He was active in exhortation the veneration of the ImmaculateVirgin Mary. He was strongly disinclined to leftist – in finicky, communist – movements.^[7]

From 1919 puzzle out 1922, he taught at rank Kraków Seminary.^[13][7] Around that interval, as well as earlier put in the bank Rome, he suffered from t.b., which forced him to rest a lengthy leave of deficiency from his teaching duties.

Formerly antibiotics, tuberculosis was often concluding, with rest and good nutriment the only treatment.^[13][20]

In January 1922, Kolbe founded the monthly quarterly Rycerz Niepokalanej (Knight of depiction Immaculata), a devotional publication family unit on the French Le Messager du Coeur de Jesus (Messenger of the Heart of Jesus).

From 1922 to 1926, unquestionable operated a religious publishing overcrowding in Grodno.^[7] As his activities grew in scope, in 1927 he founded a new Ensconced Franciscan monastery at Niepokalanów secure Warsaw. It became a larger religious publishing centre.^[13][7][20] A secondary seminary was opened there four years later.^[13]

Missionary work in Asia

Between 1930 and 1936, Kolbe undertook a series of missions rescind East Asia.

He arrived lid in Shanghai, China, but blundered to gather a following there.^[7] Next he moved to Lacquer, where by 1931 he difficult founded a Franciscan monastery, Mugenzai no Sono( 無原罪の園), on primacy outskirts of Nagasaki.

Kolbe esoteric started publishing a Japanese defiance of the Knight of depiction Immaculata (Mugenzai no Seibo maladroit thumbs down d Kishi: 無原罪の聖母の騎士).^{[21][13][7][20]} The monastery oversight founded remains prominent in dignity Roman Catholic Church in Japan.^{[13][self-published source]} Kolbe had the religious house built on a mountainside.

According to Shinto beliefs, this was not the side best preferable to be in harmony look after nature. However, when the In partnership States dropped the atomic shuck attack on Nagasaki, the Franciscan buddhism vihara survived, unlike the Immaculate Beginning Cathedral, the latter having antique on the side of nobility mountain that took the dominant force of the blast.^[22]

In mid-1932, Kolbe left Japan for Malabar, India, where he founded alternate monastery, which has since closed.^[13]

Return to Poland

Meanwhile, in his malingering the monastery at Niepokalanów began to publish a daily repayment Mały Dziennik (the Small Diary), in alliance with the factional group National Radical Camp (Obóz Narodowo Radykalny).^[13][7] This publication reached a circulation of 137,000, stream nearly double that, 225,000, goahead weekends.^[23] Kolbe returned to Polska in 1933 for a common chapter of the order modern Kraków.^[24][25] Kolbe returned to Gild and remained there until titled back to attend the District Chapter in Poland in 1936.

There he was appointed shield of Niepokalanów, thus precluding king return to Japan. Two era later, in 1938, he afoot a radio station at Niepokalanów, Radio Niepokalanów.^{[13][self-published source][26]} He engaged an amateur radio licence, additional the call sign SP3RN.^[27]

World Fighting II

After the outbreak of Nature War II, Kolbe was separate of the few friars who remained in the monastery, place he organized a temporary hospital.^[7] After the town was captured by the Germans, they nab him on 19 September 1939; he was later released broadcast 8 December.^[13][7] He refused collect sign the Deutsche Volksliste, which would have given him exact similar to those of European citizens in exchange for institution his ethnic German ancestry.^[28] Complete his release he continued operate at his friary where put your feet up and other friars provided include to refugees from Greater Polska including 2,000 Jews whom blooper hid from German persecution razor-sharp the Niepokalanów friary.^{[13][self-published source][20][22][28][29]} Kolbe received permission to continue proclamation religious works, though significantly concentrated in scope.^[28] The monastery elongated to act as a business house, issuing a number time off publications considered anti-Nazi.^{[13][self-published source][20]}

Arrest at an earlier time imprisonment

On 17 February 1941, probity monastery was shut down bid the German authorities.

That offering Kolbe and four others were arrested by the Gestapo cope with imprisoned in the Pawiak prison.^[13] On 28 May, he was transferred to Auschwitz as manipulate 16670.^[30]

Continuing to act as nifty priest, Kolbe was subjected substantiate violent harassment, including beatings ray lashings.

Once, he was contraband to a prison hospital provoke friendly inmates.^[13][28]

Martyrdom at Auschwitz

At leadership end of July 1941, first-class prisoner escaped from the settlement, prompting the deputy camp ruler, SS-HauptsturmführerKarl Fritzsch, to pick wedge men to be starved take a breather death in an underground stall key to deter further escape attempts.

When one of the elect men, Franciszek Gajowniczek (also skilful Polish Catholic), cried out, "My wife! My children!" Kolbe volunteered to take his place.^[11]

According break into an eyewitness, who was brush up assistant janitor at that as to, in his prison cell Kolbe led the prisoners in petition.

Each time the guards smothered on him, he was impulse or kneeling in the mid of the cell and alluring calmly at those who entered. After they had been starving and deprived of water financial assistance two weeks, only Kolbe come first three others remained alive.^[31]

The guards wanted the bunker emptied, consequently they gave the four residual prisoners lethal injections of carbolic acid.

Kolbe is said have it in mind have raised his left get in the way and calmly waited for prestige deadly injection.^[20] He died occur 14 August 1941. He was cremated on 15 August, integrity feast day of the Theory of Mary.^[28]

Canonization

The cause for Kolbe's beatification was opened at first-class local level on 3 June 1952.^[32] On 12 May 1955 Kolbe was recognized by honesty Holy See as a Parlour-maid of God.^[28] Kolbe was proclaimed venerable by Pope Paul VI on 30 January 1969, hallowed as a Confessor of nobility Faith by the same Bishop of rome in 1971, and canonized in that a saint by Pope Toilet Paul II on 10 Oct 1982.^[13][33] Upon canonization, the Vicar of christ declared Maximilian Kolbe as clean up confessor and a martyr designate charity.

The miracles that were used to confirm his worship were the July 1948 vow of intestinal tuberculosis in Angela Testoni and in August 1950, the cure of calcification deduction the arteries/sclerosis of Francis Ranier; both attributed to Kolbe's engagement by their prayers to him.^{[13][self-published source]}

Franciszek Gajowniczek, the man Kolbe saved at Auschwitz, survived birth Holocaust and was present reorganization a guest at both significance beatification and the canonization ceremonies.^[34]

After his canonisation, a feast cause a rift for Maximilian Kolbe was further to the General Roman Slate.

He is one of rush 20th-century martyrs who are represented in statues above the Express West Door of AnglicanWestminster Nunnery, London.^[35]

Maximilian Kolbe is remembered be bounded by the Church of England take up again a commemoration on 14 August.^[36]

Controversies

Kolbe's recognition as a Christian excruciate generated some controversy within greatness Catholic Church.^[37] While his selflessness at Auschwitz was considered blessed and heroic, he was not quite killed out of odium fidei (hatred of the faith), however as the result of sovereignty act of Christian charity take aim another man.

Pope Paul VI recognized this distinction at Kolbe's beatification, naming him a Dad and giving him the close title "martyr of charity". Pontiff John Paul II, however, overruled the commission he had personal (which agreed with the below assessment of heroic charity). Gents Paul II wanted to put a label on the point that the Nazis' systematic hatred of whole categories of humanity was inherently further a hatred of religious (Christian) faith; he said that Kolbe's death equated to earlier examples of religious martyrdom.^[37]

Accusations of antisemitism

Kolbe's alleged antisemitism was a pit of controversy in the Decade in the aftermath of rulership canonization.^[38] In 1926, in influence first issue of the publication Knight of the Immaculate, Kolbe said he considered Freemasons "as an organized clique of zealous Jews, who want to rout the church."^[39] In a 1924 column, he cited the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as an "important proof" zigzag "the founders of Zionism knowing, in fact, the subjugation marketplace the entire world", but think it over "not even all Jews put in the picture this".^[40] In a calendar put off the publishing house of her highness organization, the Militia of representation Immaculate, published in an footpath of a million in 1939, Kolbe wrote, "Atheistic Communism seems to rage ever more helter-skelter.

Its origin can easily adjust located in that criminal amalgamate that calls itself Freemasonry, stomach the hand that is directing all that toward a diaphanous goal is international Zionism. Which should not be taken get into mean that even among Jews one cannot find good people."^[41] In his periodicals he abstruse published articles about topics specified as a Zionist plot annoyed world domination.^[42][43][44] Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek criticized Kolbe's activities whilst "writing and organizing mass agitprop for the Catholic Church, write down a clear anti-Semitic and anti-Masonic edge."^[43][45] In contrast, a penny-a-liner for online EWTN claimed ditch the "Jewish question played orderly very minor role in Kolbe's thought and work" and delay "only thirty-one out of shelter 14,000 of his letters bearing the Jewish people or Faith, and most express a proselytizer zeal and concern for their spiritual welfare".^[46]

During World War II, Kolbe's monastery at Niepokalanów make safe Jewish refugees.^[43] According to magnanimity testimony of a local, "When Jews came to me invitation for a piece of dinero, I asked Father Maximilian on the assumption that I could give it cling on to them in good conscience, sit he answered me, 'Yes, monotonous is necessary to do that because all men are pungent brothers.'"^[47]

Relics

First-class relics of Kolbe be seen, in the form of hairs from his head and fibre, preserved without his knowledge do without two friars at Niepokalanów who served as barbers in sovereign friary between 1930 and 1941.

Since his beatification in 1971, more than 1,000 such relics have been distributed around birth world for public veneration. Low-level relics, such as his individual effects, clothing and liturgical endue clothing, are preserved in his abbey cell and in a safety at Niepokalanów, where they might be venerated by visitors.^[48]

Influence

Kolbe stilted his own Order of Monastical Franciscan friars, as the Armed force Immaculatae movement had continued.^[49] Farm animals recent years new religious turf secular institutes have been supported, inspired from this spiritual elude.

Among these are the Missionaries of the Immaculate Mary – Fr. Kolbe, the Franciscan Friars of Mary Immaculate, and capital parallel congregation of religious sisters and others. The Franciscan Friars of Mary Immaculate are educated basic Polish so they sprig sing the traditional hymns song by Kolbe, in his wild tongue.^[50]

According to the friars:

Our patron, St.

Maximilian Kolbe, inspires us with his unique Mariology and apostolic mission, which go over to bring all souls stop the Sacred Heart of Viscount through the Immaculate Heart another Mary, Christ's most pure, off course, and holy instrument of evangelization – especially those most unstable from the Church.^[50]

Kolbe's views pierce Marian theology echo today purpose their influence on Vatican II.^[13] His image may be intense in churches across Europe^[35] gleam throughout the world.

Several churches in Poland are under sovereignty patronage, such as the Religion of Saint Maxymilian in Zduńska Wola and the Church pick up the tab Saint Maxymilian Kolbe in Szczecin.^[51][52] A museum, Museum of Put across. Maximilian Kolbe "There was unadulterated Man", was opened in Niepokalanów in 1998.^[53]

In 1963, Rolf Hochhuth published The Deputy, a value influenced by Kolbe's life, paramount dedicated to him.^[28] In 2000, the National Conference of Grand Bishops (US) designated Marytown expect Libertyville, Illinois home to tidy community of Conventual Franciscan friars, as the National Shrine time off St.

Maximilian Kolbe.^[54]

In 1991, Krzysztof Zanussi released a Polish release about the life of Kolbe, Life for Life: Maximilian Kolbe [pl], with Edward Żentara as Kolbe. The Polish Senate declared 2011 to be the year win Maximilian Kolbe.^[55]

In 2023, the Mexican production company Dos Corazones Big screen released the animated feature skin Max, which recounts part admonishment the Franciscan's life.^[56]

Immaculata prayer

Kolbe beside the Immaculata prayer as well-organized prayer of consecration to character Immaculata.^[57]

See also

Notes

References