This year marks the 70 anniversary of Franz’s execution in Berlin in 1943 for refusing to serve in Hitler’s army. The day was led by the Pax Christi team and guest speaker from Austria, Severin Renoldner a theologian, former Vice-President of Pax Christi Austria and expert on the life of Franz and of Austria during the time of national socialism.
Students participated in an activity that helped them explore how a variety of factors might have influenced Franz’s decision of non-cooperation with an unjust system and heard Severin speak of the pressures that would have been on ordinary Austrian people in the 1930/40s to conform and support the Nazis regime and occupation. Franz, a devout Catholic who received little support from the Catholic Church at that time, came to a clear decision of conscience based on his readings of the gospel - that he could not conform and that he would sacrifice his life for his choice.
Severin invited the young people to reflect on issues for today where we too may have to ’take sides’ , choose good over evil. He cited the issue of refugees and migrants and their treatment in Europe today which is resulting in hundreds of deaths every month. Or the willingness of countries like the UK to go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our life today, he said, is based on serious questions and we need to be prepared to take decisions and make hard choices.
Asked what they would take away from the day students wrote: "Whatever happens, stand up for what you believe", "If you think something is wrong and your friend’s don’t, you should not change", "The incredible bravery of Franz to stay firm to his convictions."
A second gathering took place that evening for a further time of reflection and celebration where Severin was able to go more deeply into the political and social context of Austria at the time and the implications of this for Franz’s decision. They were joined by Bishop Kevin Dowling, co-president of Pax Christi International who was in London at the invitation of Missio.
Franz was beatified in October 2007 in the Cathedral of Linz, Austria.
Severin Renoldner says
"Following an invitation from Pax Christi UK I was in London from 17 to 19 october 2013, to speak and discuss about Franz Jaegerstaetter, 6 years after his beatification in Linz, 70 years after his death as a martyr 1943, and in the year of the 100th birthday - and the death - of his wife Franziska Jaegerstaetter.
We held several meetings with pupils from catholic schools around and in London, but also with interested adults from the three roman catholic dioceses which are located in any part of the immense city of London:
Westminster (Archdiocese covering North of the river Thames)
Southwark (Archdiocese for South of the river Thames)
Brentwood (Diocese which includes East of London)
Most remarkable for me was the awareness of the example of blessed Franz Jaegerstaetter of so many people in the UK. Even the youth had a lot of personal impressions and questions.
They were glad to hear that there are now 17 or 18 great-grandchildren of Franz and Franziska, and that his example has survived.
We discussed also about a matter of relativeness: Austrias people in the 1930ies suffered a lot from the loss of being an empire (the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was a monolithe in central Europa until 1918). That caused minority feelings and tndencies towards Germany, which were shared by relevant parts of society. Britain today seems to have difficulties to get used to being one out of many European (member) states instead of being a world empire.
Pax Christi Austria and UK will remain in touch, and so should our whole dioceses. Franz Jaegerstaetter has done much to combine the fate of people here and there. It was Nazi-Germany that threw the bombs on British cities, but men like Franz refused to take part."
PowerPoint presentation from Severin Renoldner in London 2013 for Download
from:
Pat Gaffney
General Secretary
Pax Christi
www.paxchristi.org.uk
twitter.com/paxchristiuk
Severin Renoldner, Linz Austria
www.dioezese-linz.at/soziales
