Charles I of Austria

Upon the death of Emperor Franz Joseph on November 21, 1916, Charles ascended the throne in the midst of the First World War. He was crowned Apostolic King of Hungary on December 30, 1916. Conscious of the heavy responsibility incumbent upon him before God, he conceived his office as sovereign as a sacred service to his peoples. Faced with the tragedy of the global conflict, he placed the pursuit of peace at the center of his concerns. He was the only political leader to actively support the peace proposals of Pope Benedict XV. Domestically, he developed innovative social legislation, directly inspired by the social doctrine of the Church. In November 1918, at the end of the war, refusing to abdicate because he considered his power a divine mandate, he renounced participation in the affairs of the State in order to avoid a bloody civil war.

Banished from his homeland, Charles attempted twice to restore his authority in Hungary to block communism, in accordance with the Pope's wishes, but he renounced it as soon as the risk of civil war became clear. He was finally exiled by the Allies to the island of Madeira, in Portugal. Reduced to poverty, housed in an unsanitary and cold dwelling, he contracted a serious lung disease. He offered his sufferings as a sacrifice for the peace and unity of his peoples, forgiving all his enemies. He died holily on April 1, 1922, in Funchal, his gaze fixed on the Blessed Sacrament. His last words testify to his total submission to the divine will.

The cause for the beatification of Charles of Austria was officially opened in 1949 in the Archdiocese of Vienna. In 1972, during the opening of his tomb in Funchal, his body was discovered to be incorrupt. On April 12, 2003, Pope John Paul II promulgated the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues. On December 20, 2003, a Vatican decree recognized a miracle attributed to his intercession: the scientifically inexplicable healing of a nun in Brazil. Charles of Austria was solemnly beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004, in Saint Peter's Square in Rome. His liturgical feast is set for October 21, the anniversary of his marriage to Empress Zita, highlighting the holiness of their married life.

The spirituality of Blessed Charles of Austria is based on an absolute submission to the will of God, which he sought to fulfill in all things. His Eucharistic devotion and his love for the Sacred Heart guided his private and public choices. He showed that a political leader could live the Gospel at the heart of power, making his office a service of love and peace. His spiritual legacy is perpetuated in particular through the "Emperor Charles Prayer League for the Peace of Nations" (Gebetsliga), which was born after his death and recognized by the Church in 1963.