Franz Jägerstätter

Životopis

Franz Jägerstätter was an Austrian farmer and devout Catholic who became a martyr during World War II. Born in 1907 in St. Radegund, he lived a simple, pious life rooted in his faith community. When conscripted into the Nazi Wehrmacht in 1940, Jägerstätter initially served but became increasingly convinced that participating in Nazi warfare violated Catholic moral teaching. After much prayer and consultation with his parish priest and bishop, he refused to take the military oath in 1943, declaring his conscience could not support an unjust war. Despite facing execution, he remained resolute in his convictions. He was court-martialed and beheaded on August 9, 1943. His letters from prison reveal profound spiritual depth and unwavering commitment to Christian principles over state demands. Canonized in 2007, Jägerstätter is recognized as a prophetic witness to the sanctity of conscience and the Christian duty to resist evil, even unto death.