Lion of Münster to be beatified

BY CHRISTINA FARRELL
ONE OF the Church’s most vociferous opponents of Adolf Hitler will be beatified in November.
Cardinal Augusto Von Galen, Bishop of Münster in the 1930s, will take the step towards sainthood in a ceremony at the Vatican on October 9.
The Lion of Münster, as he was known, showed great courage in opposing the persecutions of the Third Reich. He raised his voice in defence of the rights of the poor and the sick, and protested vigorously against euthanasia, the seizing of monasteries and convents, the persecution of Jews and the expulsion of religious. He died of peritonitis in 1946.
Cardinal Von Galen is one of 17 people to be beatified in a number of ceremonies that will take place in October and November. Pope Benedict will not be presiding personally and has delegated cardinals to stand in for him.
The Pope will, however, canonise a further five saints in Rome on October 23. Among the five is Archbishop Josef Bilczewski of Lviv, Ukraine; Fr Zygmunt Gorazdowski who founded the Congregation for the Sisters of St Joseph to care for the poor and the sick and a Chilean Jesuit, Fr Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga.
During his pontificate John Paul canonised 482 people and beatified 1,338.