Franz Stock

The abbot Franz Stock “it is not a name - it is a program! ”: Mgr Roncalli, Apostolic nuncio in France and future Pope Jean XXIII, had employed these words the February 28th 1948 at the time of the blessing of its mortal remains.

In July 1962, it will repeat this sentence in front of an international group of pilgrims: “… the priest Franz Stock - We said it the day of its burial at the time of exonerated after the mass of Requiem - it is not only one name, it is a program. Today, after 14 years, We would like to repeat these same words. ”

Joseph Folliet, one of the great figures of the French spirituality of the Years 1950 and 1960, said of him: “I believe that there exists only of rare Christian destinies which testify to the universality of the Church and the Peace of the Christ in a as direct, permanent and durable way as that of Franz Stock. ”

In its capacity as chaplain of the Parisian prisons and Mount Valérien, place of executions during the occupation, it entered the History. In France, one will call it “the Chaplain of the Hell” and “the Archangel in Hell. ”

Of 1945 with 1947, he was the superior of the seminar of the prisoners with Chartres.

Its ashes were transferred to Rechèvres, close to Chartres the 15 June 16th 1963. Since then, it rests in the shade of famous the cathedral. The pope Jean-Paul II, at the time of his visit with Fulda in Germany, the November 18th 1981, quoted his name at the same time as those of the other great saints of the German history. It is in the cathedral of Chartres that was commemorated, on March 1st 1998, the fiftieth birthday of its death. The archbishop of Paris, the Cardinal Lustiger, celebrated a pontifical office surrounded by many French and German bishops in the presence of Rene Monory, President of the French Sénat, and the Chancelier Kohl who had deposited before a crown on the tomb of Franz Stock.

Biography of Franz Stock (1904 - 1948)

September 21st, 1904: Birth of Franz Stock, it is l´aîné of nine children d´une working-class family of Neheim.

From 1910 to 1913: Raise l´école catholic primary education. With twelve years l´âge, he formulates for the first time the wish to take the cassock.

From 1917 to 1926: In 1917, 13 years old, it is allowed with the college of Neheim. It obtains its baccalaureat in 1926.

From 1926 to 1932: Theological studies. Beginning of its studies with philosophico-theological l academy of Paderborn. It assists in 1926, with the sixth international democratic Congress for Peace with Bierville, close to Paris, organized by Marc Sangnier under the currency: " Peace by the jeunesse." It become acquainted there with Joseph Folliet which will have a very great influence on him. At Easter, in 1928, it goes to Paris to make studies during three six-month periods with l´Institut Catholique. It will be it first allowed German student with l´Institut since the Middle Ages. It becomes Compagnons of Saint François, movement which aspired to carry out l´ideal simple life and peace. In the following years, it takes part in several recoveries with international meetings, like that on the " Borberg" close to Brilon in 1931.

March 15th, 1931: It receives the subdiaconate. Before the retirement which was going to prepare it to receive the sacrament of l ordination, he had written with his parents: " … These days, I take the decisive step towards priesthood. I am conscious of all my weakness and yet j´ai great confidence in That which strengthens us and as much as I will be able, I will be worthy of Him. Because throughout my formation, with n´en not to doubt, the Providence of God m´a led, since the day when for the first time, j´ai thought of becoming priest, jusqu´aujourd´hui.

March 12th, 1932: Ordination by l´archevêque of Paderborn, Kaspar Klein. On the charts of its first mass Franz Stock makes print an extract of the first Letter of Saint Pierre: " Obeying the truth, sanctify your hearts, to sincerely love you like brothers. D´un pure heart, you like the ones the others without failure, generated again d´un germ not corruptible, but incorruptible, the Word of God living and eternal. "

In 1934: It is named vice-chancellor with the German catholic Mission of Paris. He lives to the 21-23 of the street Lhomond, close to the Latin Quarter.

September 1st, 1939: The Second world war bursts. A few days before, on l´ordre of l´ambassade, Franz Stock must regain l´Allemagne precipitately. He exerts the functions of vicar d´abord in Dortmund-Bodelschwingh and then in Wanzleben.

August 13rd, 1940: New nomination with the German catholic Mission of Paris, where it turns over in October.

At the beginning of 1941: It starts to visit the Parisian prisons: Fresnes, Health and Seek-Midday.

June 10th, 1941: It is named secondary chaplain as function by the German military authorities. It is charged to take care of the prisoners in the prisons and to prepare and d´acompagner condemned to dead one jusqu´ instead of their torment. From 1941 to 1944, there are approximately 11000 prisoners in the prisons of Paris. The executions take place with the Valérien Mount. Its newspaper, where he consigns short notes on the prisoners and condemned to death becomes an upsetting document. Itself says that the number of the executions to which it assisted was to be a number of four digits, and not smallest. The Canon of the cathedral of Chartres, Pierre Andre, quoted a number above 3000. The commemorative plaque with the Valérien Mount mentions some more than 4500.

August 25th, 1944: Entry of de Gaulle in Paris. L´Abbé Stock is with l´hôpital Pity with more than 600 wounded and untransportable German soldiers. When the Americans deal with l´hôpital, l´Abbé Stock becomes prisoner of war, recorded under the number: US/PWIB/31 G/820274. General L Aumonery in Paris, with l´Abbé Rodhain and l´Abbé Meur at its head, come into contact with l´Abbé Stock which is at that time in the large prison camp of war of Cherbourg. One considers the foundation d´un seminar for captive German theologists. One wants to bring them to priesthood and to offer l´occasion to become to them soon an element of revival for Catholicism in their country. A little later one asks l´Abbé Stock d´entreprendre and to direct the spiritual training of the captive German seminarists. One planned for the seminar the camp Dépôt 51 in Orleans.

April 24th, 1945: L´Abbé Meur accompanies l´Abbé Stock in Orleans where they find already twenty-eight theologists.

August 17th, 1945: The Seminar of the Barbed wires is transferred d´Orléans towards camp 501 to Coudray close to Chartres. Colonel Gourut entrusts the 160 seminarists to the Mother of God, Notre-Dame of Chartres.

August 19th, 1945: Two days afterwards, l´évêque of Chartres, Mgr. Harscouet, accompanied by its secretary l´Abbé Pierre Andre, returns already visit to the seminar. Later, he will frequently visit the camp and will always s´adressera with the Seminarists with these words: " My dear children. "

September 18th, 1945: The apostolic nuncio Roncalli, the future Pope Jean XXIII, returns a rather long visit to the Camp

May 16th, 1946: New visit of the nuncio to the Seminar of the Barbed wires.

Sunday after Christmas 1946: The apostolic nuncio is able again to transmit the wishes of the Holy Father. C´est on this occasion qu´il stresses that the Seminar of Chartres makes as well honor in France qu´à l´Allemagne, and qu´il is quite ready to become a symbol of l´entente and reconciliation.

April 5th, 1947: Holy saturdays, Mgr. Roncalli celebrates l´office with the Seminarists and orders to priest two deacons of the diocese of Rottenburg. In its short speech, he says: " C´est here which you learned l´action from Providence. Each one of us is subjected to Providence of God. Christ yesterday, aujourd´hui and forever. They are peace, freedom and l´amour, c´est them which will be the triumph of our Lord Jesus-Christ. "

April 26th, 1947: Franz Stock addresses to the seminarists captive of Chartres a message that later, at the time of the twentieth birthday of its death, l´Abbé Jean Pihan qualified the prophetic one: " … A number of Saints wanted by Providence will be enough to save our time. … C´est the Providence which launches us this call to holiness through the voice even of l´histoire and we need l´entendre to carry in the world the message of freedom, peace, hello and d´amour… “

June 5th, 1947: Dissolution of the Seminar of the Barbed wires. The seminar had 949 teachers, priests, brothers and seminarists. With its closing, there are of them 369 more.

December 16th, 1947: L´Abbé Stock learns its nomination from " honorary doctor " by l university of Freiburg-in-Brisgau.

February 24th, 1948: Sudden death around 16 hours with l´hôpital Cochin in Paris. Franz Stock did not n´avait yet 44 years.

February 28th, 1948: Funeral in l´église Saint-Jacob of Haut-Pas in Paris. Nuncio Mgr. Roncalli gives itself l´absoute, " l´absolutio AD tumbam". Simple and pitiful burial with the cemetery of Thiais. Only one ten people follow her coffin.

July 3rd, 1949: Public commemorative ceremony with the Dome of the Invalids.

June 13rd, 1963: Exhumation of the body of Franz Stock to the cemetery of Thiais.

June 14th, 1963: Franco-German ratification of the treaty d´amitié by l´Assemblée National Frenchwoman.

The 15 June 16th, 1963: The coffin remains d´abord exposed and is finally buried in l´église Saint-Jean-Baptist of Rechèvres to Chartres. Before dying, the Pope Jean XXIII signs a telegram intended to be read with funerals with Rechèvres. The apostolic blessing carries the signature d´un late - as a legacy.

September 15th, 1990: The name of " Place l´Abbé Franz Stock" is given to l´esplanade in front of the Memorial of the Resistance of the Valérien Mount to Suresnes.

June 13rd, 1993: Thirty years after final l inhumation of Franz Stock in l´église Holy Jean-Baptiste, is addressed to l´Eglise the request formulated in French language and allemande that Franz Stock is béatifié.

March 1st, 1998: From February 22nd to 28th 1998 take place in Paris the ceremonies commemorating the 50 ème birthday of died of Franz Stock. March 1st, 1998 marks the culminating point of these ceremonies with the pontifical mass celebrated in the cathedral of Chartres by the Cardinal Lustiger, Archevêque of Paris, by Mgr. Lehmann, President of the German Episcopal conference, and by Mgr. Degenhardt, Archbishop of Paderborn. The Chancellor of the Federal republic d´Allemagne, Dr. Helmut Kohl, and Mr Monory, President of the Senate and this fact the second character of the French Republic, take part in this mass. Previously, the Federal Chancellor had deposited a sheaf with the tomb of Franz Stock in l´église Saint-Jean-Baptist. " Germans and French, we are persons in charge unit of our common future, in front of the men and Dieu" (extracted from l´homélie of the Lustiger Cardinal).

External bonds

http://www.franz-stock.org/fr

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