www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Blessed Charles of Austria

Blessed Charles of Austria came to the Hapsburg throne in 1915, at a young age. He did all he could to stop the war with little success.

No one questions his personal sanctity or his devotion to his family or his concern for the many peoples of his empire. How bright and how effective he was is another question but it's irrelevant.

On a topic unrelated to Charles, has anyone written an icon for St. Gianna Molla?

Actually Blessed Charles became Emperor and Apostolic King in 1916. His accession address promised that he would do everything possible to make peace - he went even further than the proposals of Pope Benedict XV. Unfortunately, the Anglo-French Entente wasn't having any. The peace proposals of Blessed Charles are now available for all the world to read.

A popular proverb to the contrary, it does not take two to make a quarrel (find the bully of your choice and watch him or her in action). It does, alas, require two parties to make peace. The Entente was determined to crush the Central Powers and succeeded, with the happy results that we are all only too familiar with.

However, we have cause to rejoice - the beatification has given us back the Emperor, and this time no power on earth can take him away from us ever again!

Fr. Serge

Father Serge,

Indeed, when taken by the standards of a fallen world, Blessed Karl would be considered a failure. However, his efforts at making peace, his love for God, his family, his peoples, all the calumnies, betrayals, and sufferings he endured unjustly yet with serenity and forgiveness for all of his enemies make brilliantly clear his virtue.

1 Timothy 5:25 "So also good deeds are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden."

Fr. Matthew

October 21 marks the feastday of Blessed Charles of Austria. It was on this date in 1911 that he and Princess (future Empress) Zita were married at Schwarzau.

Blessed Charles of Austria pray to God for us!

Holy father and apostolic emperor Charles, pray to God for us!

Amazing! That war produced two Emporors that became saints and each suffered in their own way. What a tragic era, and the beginning of a century of horrors. Some say the hundred years given to satan hasn't ended yet.

Zenovia

There was a Mass at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Vancouver, British Columbia on Saturday, October 21, 2006, the feastday of Blessed Charles of Austria. A stained glass window featuring Blessed Charles was blessed and a relic was venerated and then enshrined. Then there was a conference given by Brother Nathan Cochran, O.S.B., the American/Canadian Delegate of the Emperor Charles League of Prayers. Brother Nathan announced that two miracles attributed to the intercession of Blessed Charles are being investigated presently.

Fr. Matthew

Honestly now, there is an historical disconnect here. Was it not Austria-Hunary that desuaded our people the Rusyn/Galicians to abandon their Orthodox roots for the Latin Rite..??? Have we forgot the 'treaty' of Brest..?? And where is the nobility in that. To rip a people from their heritage. Hmmm, kind of like the English superimposing their power over others they decided to dominate and 'civilize'. What of the anti-opinion here..?? mik

Dear Mike,

You write asking:

To consider these points:

"Was it not Austria-Hunary that desuaded our people the Rusyn/Galicians to abandon their Orthodox roots for the Latin Rite..???"

Well, no, it wasn't - not if you meant to write "persuaded" instead of "desuaded". If you meant to write "dissuaded", that would be a compliment to Austria-Hungary. Austria actually favored the Greek-Catholic Church and gave her significant support.

"Have we forgot the 'treaty' of Brest..??" From the context, it appears that you are speaking of the Union of Brest, which took place in 1596, Austria was not a party to it, nor involved in it, neither for good nor for ill. Those who like the Union of Brest cannot give Austria the credit, and those who dislike the Union of Brest cannot give Austria the bleme; Austria had nothing to do with it.

It is just possible that you are referring to the several Treaties of Brest-Litovsk of early 1918. Had these remained in force after World War I, the results would have been excellent for Ukraine, and these Treaties did not involve ripping the people from their heritage. So if that's what you are referring to, what would be the point?

You comment:

"Hmmm, kind of like the English superimposing their power over others they decided to dominate and 'civilize'." - that applies perfectly to the terrible artificial famine in Ukraine in the early nineteen-thirties. But I am unaware that Austria has ever been accused of doing any such thing.

You ask:

"What of the anti-opinion here..?? "

If this farrago of mixed-up attributions of the behaviour of others to the Emperor of Austria and Apostolic King of Hungary is the best the anti-opinion can do, well: "Honestly now, there is an historical disconnect here."

Better luck next time!

Father Serge